


Thunderstruck ~Mistaken Identity~

by Morriggann, Roguex1979



Category: Thor (Movies), Thor - Fandom, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Blow Job, Confusion, Eventual Sex, Fingering, Hand Job, Jogging, M/M, Mistaken Identity, Not Actor!Tom, Thor annoys Tom, Thor hates the couch, Thor is bored, Thor learns about Midgard, Thor learns about a lot of Midgardian stuff, Tom is about to lose his shit, Tom is way too patient, full on anal penetration, here is some lube, hot and heavy, mild violence, thunderpudding - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-05-04 14:25:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 32,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5337389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morriggann/pseuds/Morriggann, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roguex1979/pseuds/Roguex1979
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>~~ALTERNATE UNIVERSE STORY~~</p>
<p>Loki has gone missing, yet again, and Thor is sent on a mission by the Allfather to find his elusive brother. With the help of Heimdall, the Gatekeeper, Thor heads to Midgard, thinking he's found Loki. But once he's there, he isn't quite sure of who he's found.</p>
<p>Tom is the proud owner of a small café and must deal with this otherworldly god barging in on his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU story in which Tom is a simple man, and the events of the movies are of no relevance.

                                    

 The sun was setting on Asgard, after a long and busy day for the God of Thunder. He was tired and in much need of a bath and food. Instead of returning to the palace immediately, Thor headed to the hot springs to get a good soak and some time to think.

 He had trained intensely with the troops, as they did once in awhile. With the peace ongoing for some time, the soldiers were not needed as much but still had to remain in shape and at the ready, if anything were to happen within the Realms.

 Instead, they lent their help in the villages and farms surrounding the palace. The harvest had been bountiful this last season, so extra hands were always welcome. Thor prided himself on having such invaluable soldiers and was more than happy to let some of them take leave to be with their families. Still, on a regular basis, all of them returned to train, the generals making sure they would be ready at any time if a war was to break out.

 Thor returned to the palace, more than ready for a nice hot meal. He stopped a servant to have her fetch food, but an Einherjar came to him quickly, informing him the King and Queen wished to speak to him. Nodding, Thor followed him to the throne room.

 As expected, the Allfather and Queen Frigga awaited him. He hurried and bowed respectfully. “Mother, Father, you wished to see me?”

 Frigga, her hand on her husband’s shoulder, nodded. “It’s Loki. He’s disappeared, _again_.”

 Thor snorted. “And how is that new, Mother? Loki has a habit of going away to spend time alone.”

 Odin sighed wearily. “He has been gone for weeks. I had his usual spots investigated, he was nowhere to be found. You know your brother; he can easily cause mischief.”

 Thor nodded. “So what am I to do? Go after him?” he asked. “Have you any idea where he is?”

 Frigga shifted from one foot to the other, then sat beside Odin, seemingly weary. "We believe he may be on Midgard. It has been centuries since he last visited there. Seeing the numerous cultures and the number of people, he could have disguised himself as anyone." She looked at Thor with a worried expression. "Go see Heimdall. The Guardian of the Bifrost sees all so he may be able to help. If he sees him, go fetch him. You know how flighty and attention seeking he has become ever since..." She paused, thinking back to the conversation they all had, her, Odin, Thor and Loki, about his true origins. It had not ended well, Loki shouting and threatening, but he had seemed to eventually take it in his stride and accept that he was adopted, though his periods of absence grew more often, but never for very long.

 Thor took a deep breath and bowed his head slightly. "Very well, Mother, I will go after him.” He sighed exaggeratedly. “At some point, though, he will have to stop behaving like a spoiled brat." He shook his head with disapproval. "I will only return when I find him. Heimdall will know where I am, should I be needed." He bowed again, said goodbye, and headed off to the Bifrost, flying with Mjölnir as soon as he set foot outside.

 As usual, Heimdall awaited him, his gaze on the stars, his hands clasped over Hǫfuð, his mighty sword. "My Lord, it seems Loki is misbehaving,” he said, his low voice like a rumble.

 " _Again_ should have been at the end of that sentence, good Heimdall."

 The muscular gatekeeper chuckled at Thor's comment. "Indeed. However, there has been nary a peep from the Realms that would indicate his particular brand of mischief. He only seems to be causing a worry for the King and Queen."

 "For them to ask me to find him, he has caused them much worry, too much even." Thor sighed and looked at the starry sky. "Do you see him anywhere? Or noticed his misdeeds?"

 Heimdall turned, facing the same direction as Thor. "He has been quiet. Wherever he is, he does not seem to want to be..." The gatekeeper paused and a small frown appears on his face.

 Thor noticed immediately."What? Have you found him? What has he done?" He pressed Heimdall with questions, gripping Mjölnir tighter.

 Seemingly looking harder, studying the stars, Heimdall concentrated until he could make sense of what he was seeing. "There is...a human who bears the face of Loki. I...am unsure if it _is_ your brother." He turned to Thor. "Why would he disguise himself only to have similarities so recognisable...unless..."

 "Unless it is to cause more mischief? You said _human_ , which means he's on Midgard? Mother said he had not been there in centuries! No doubt he is planning to cause heinous mischief there." Thor walked to the Bifrost opening. "Good Heimdall, send me there right away, so I can stop him and bring him home!"

 Heimdall smiled at the impatient prince's enthusiasm. " _If_ it is Loki, it seems he is ready to be found now. I shall send you there. However, I suggest that you observe first. It could still be a coincidence, it might not be Loki. Somehow, I am unsure."

 Thor nodded. "Very well, I shall be careful. Where is it that you are sending me?"

 While placing Hǫfuð inside the key slot, Heimdall gave Thor the information he needed. “London, at a small café named _Slice of Heaven_.” He dropped the sword and the gate began to whir loudly and spin before the stream is opened.

 Nodding, Thor thanked Heimdall after getting more directions, then walked into the stream. The traveling was quick, intense, and Thor landed in a deserted lot. "London, eh? It has been some decades since I have been here," he mumbled. He looked around to get his bearings, then headed to the street Heimdall had indicated, still with his full armour on.


	2. Chapter 1

 Tom tutted when he spilled some hot chocolate as he put a mug down. He then laughed as the baby in front of him slapped the counter with his little bib fisted in his tiny hand. "Why, thank you, Greer." He looked up at the boy's mother and whispered, "How much to take him on as a summer temp next year, Ella?"

 She laughed. "Hmmm, I would say I'd pay _you_ to do that. It would be a lovely holiday!" She leaned in the baby's ear. "Now, apologise to Tom, Greer."

 The baby slapped the counter again, making Tom laugh, and wave a hand. "It's fine, really. Look, he's trying to wipe it up." The two watched the baby make a right mess. "I'll tell you what,” Tom started. “Just give me £2 for the hot chocolate, we'll call it even for you having to go home and try to wash the chocolate stains out."

 With a smile, Ella paid her order, holding her son on one hip, the bag of cookies between her teeth, and her mug in her free hand. She winked at Tom and headed to a small table at the back of the shop.

 Another regular customer came in and nodded to Tom. "Hey, man! How goes it? Still working hard I see." he said as he approached the counter.

 Tom lifted a hand to wave. "Jacob, my man! Hardly working more like.” They had a good laugh, as they often did. "The usual?" he asked. "Or are you going to be brave and try one of my assistant’s cupcakes?" He pointed to a covered glass dome with some irregularly shaped cakes, a brave attempt at baking. "Half price?"

 Jacob grinned. "You know me and my constantly empty stomach, it needs to be filled. Give me two. And if I get sick, you feed me for free for a year." He took out his wallet, finding a few pounds. "I'll have an espresso with that, man."

 "Right away!” Tom spun around to the fancy new coffee machine he'd installed that made his life a lot easier and made the espresso and plated up two of the least weird looking creations. “And don’t worry, I doubt Marian would let you get sick over her baking!"

 His assistant’s cooking wasn't the greatest, even if she was doing her best. Fortunately, his regular customers knew Marian and would occasionally try her baking. Of course, a few newbies here and there would come into the shop, curious about it, and Tom would find at least, if they weren't tourists, that they too fast became regulars; they also got accustomed to Marian’s cooking. Tom made losses at those times, but he wasn't struggling; the woman was a godsend in terms of availability, but mostly kindness.

 He turned to his customer, smiling. "That'll be...£1.30 for the espresso and £1 for both of the delicious cupcakes, mate."

 Paying for his order, Jacob smiled. "I'm sure Marian did her best,” he said. “Is...she still in? I'll compliment her on my way out." he added before taking a large bite of the cupcake. To Tom’s surprise, he didn't shudder in disgust, the cupcake was actually good. He hummed appreciatively and gave a thumbs up, strolling towards the kitchen.

 Tom laughed as Jacob headed towards the back. "Try not to startle her!" He knew Jacob had a thing for Marian and that she reciprocated, though shy around the man.

 Placing both hands on the counter, Tom looked around. His _Slice of Heaven_ coffee shop was almost always filled with customers, small as it was, and he loved it. The lunchtime rush was over and every table was full. "Anyone need anything else?" he asked loudly. Most of the customers politely responded negatively. Tom smiled and turned to clean the coffee machine.

 ~~

 It's when he saw himself in a shop window that Thor realized he couldn't keep his Asgardian attire on if he wanted to pass off as Midgardian; his armour was too shiny, too regal to not be noticed. Looking around, he saw a seemingly homeless man going into a building named _Shelter of the Hearts_. Curious, Thor quietly followed the man inside to snoop around, hoping to find something to help him in his endeavour. He hid when someone came down the hallway, then dashed into a room full of boxes and bags, clothes in a few of them. He picked out clothes that seemed to fit, dark trousers that were a bit tight at the waist, a dark t-shirt underneath a crimson shirt which he left unbuttoned. The clothes had seen better days; they smelled weird and the pockets had holes, but they would suffice. He would not be wearing them long.

 Going back out incognito, Thor then walked at what he deemed a normal pace towards the café Heimdall had directed him. He entered and slightly jerked at the door chime, making him quickly take a look around. He saw no tables were available, then a man facing away from him at the counter. _He resembles Loki_ , he thought. _His back shape is similar, but the hair is wrong._

 When the door chimed indicating another customer had entered, Tom turned to see who it was. He didn't recognise the man, but the clothes he wore looked ill-fitting, old, perhaps slightly grungy. "Hello, good afternoon!" he greeted him. "What can I get you?" he asked, wiping his hand on a dishtowel.

 Thor narrowed his eyes, hearing the differences in the speech pattern. He resembled Loki, quite a bit actually, but not fully. "I will have...coffee," he mumbled, remembering the drink from a previous time on Midgard.

 Tom waited a heartbeat longer to see if his customer ordered anything else or to specify which coffee, or even say please, except he got a sudden whiff of the man. His clothes reeked somewhat and Tom idly wondered if the man had any money. "Alright,” he said, frowning slightly. He turned back to make a normal black coffee.

 As he did, a couple of his regular patrons finished their drinks quickly. They didn’t seem comfortable with the man standing there. They waved Tom goodbye, hurrying towards the entrance, both Ella and Jacob separately saying they’d see him in a couple of days. Tom turned and waved, "Bye!" then turned back quickly. "Oh no, I'm gone for a week, but I'll be back next week in time to launch the mint and the gingerbread hot chocolates leading up to Christmas."

 "Oh, shut up, that's weeks away!" Ella shouted from the door.

 Tom laughed. "Sooner than you think. And I know how much you love the gingerbread one, Ella." He waved as they left and finally served the man in front of him his coffee. It was in a takeaway mug; Tom hoped the man would simply pay and leave. Instead, his smelly customer was giving him a look that disconcerted him slightly. "That'll be £2.00, please,” he mumbled.

 Blinking, Thor dipped his hands in his pockets. He had not thought of bringing Midgardian currency and didn't have the powers to conjure any. "I...do not...seem to..." He waited for the man he thought to be Loki to laugh or taunt him, but nothing came. "I do not have money," he said bluntly, unsure if he should be apologetic or annoyed by his brother’s strange behavior.

 Staring at the hulking great man, Tom then glanced at his customers, who all looked slightly uncomfortable, then back at the man. _He must be homeless_ , he thought. He noticed how people outside were bundled up in hats and scarves as the late October chill had begun to set in; the mountain of a man was clearly not dressed for the weather and probably freezing. Tom smiled lightly. "Hey, consider it a freebie this time, okay? But only this once." He pushed the reinforced cardboard cup with the plastic lid on it. "Milk jug is over there and sugar or sweetener if you need them." He pointed to the small self-service station with the napkins, knives and forks and other bits and pieces.

 Picking up the cup, Thor glanced to where the man pointed him, unfamiliar with the things he was shown. He nodded and mumbled a thank you, then headed to one of the tables that had cleared. He sipped the drink, appreciating its flavour, then looked back toward the counter. _Loki surely has put a_ lot _into this disguise! But what would he gain being here in this Midgardian shop? There is nothing for him here!_ he thought.

 Trying not to look too obvious, Tom watched the man. He moved with confidence, yet there was an uncertainty to him as well. _Possibly high?_ Tom thought. When the man turned around, Tom busied himself with something else. _C'mon, man, just leave now please...you've got your free coffee, now move on…_ Hisheart sank when the man went to sit at a table. _Looks like he's decided to stay a bit. Great…_

 Time passed and Tom continued to be wary of the strange man, but since he didn't seem to cause any trouble, and it was cold out, he didn't want to chase the man onto the street. He'd leave in his own time.

 Unmoving, Thor remained seated, sipping the hot coffee as the sun slowly set. It was when he stared at the bottom of the cup that he realized how hungry he was, but he still didn't have money. He looked up when he saw the man coming toward him. _Perhaps he'll offer me sustenance._

 After a while, Tom noticed that the homeless man wasn’t leaving so he went to ask him to leave, knowing he had finished his coffee. It was simple, the tables were for customers only, and he hadn’t even paid for his coffee. He headed in the man's direction but was stopped by one of his regulars.

 "Hey Tom, how's the renovating going? It seems you started a million years ago!" the man asked.

 Tom smiled at the question, always happy to speak about his fixer upper. "Well, Neil, since you were in last...which was, what, two weeks ago? I managed to _finally_ re-tile the bathroom. Now, I only have the guest room to do, which is why I'm off this next week." He looked across the street at a family-run hardware shop. "Thank god I live opposite a hardware store. Those boxes of tiles were heavy!"

 Neil nodded. "I’ll bet. I'd offer help, Tom, but the wifey and I are leaving tomorrow morning for a little holiday up in Scotland. If you're not done when I return, I'll give ya a hand."

 Thor's ears pricked up to listen. _Tom? That’s what he’s called himself here? And renovating? Loki is going quite far with the charade,_ he thought. Listening closely, he noticed the different accents between Tom/Loki and this Neil sitting with a pastry. The game was still going and he still didn't understand what his brother was playing at. He kept listening, wanting to know more.

 Thankful, but realistic, Tom grinned at Neil. "Yeah, right. Just like you 'offered' to help weeks ago but you had to be sure you didn't put your back out because your wife was ovulating." They both laughed. "How's it going anyway?" The conversation changed to that of babies and Tom listened to how Neil was starting to worry that he might be infertile. "Have you been for a test?" he asked.

 Swallowing hard, Neil nodded. "We have, hence the holiday. We need to let stress out before it makes us sick. We're still waitin' on results. Hopin’ for the best that it's just takin’ us a little more work than others." He thought wistfully about his wife at home packing. He then snapped back to Tom. "What about you? Any women in sight?"

 Tom laughed nervously as all the other women still in the shop suddenly turned around or looked up at him, hopeful. "Nope...still single...ehehehe." He looked at a woman who blew him a kiss. He frowned and waved his finger. "Mrs. Peterson, you are a married woman!" he said sternly at the much older lady, but it was all light-hearted and good fun.

 The woman giggled and winked at him, then returned to her book.

 Thor, still listening, frowned at the petty conversation. _Loki would never care for such mundane things._ The God sighed annoyingly. The banter was putting him to sleep and he looked forward to the other people leaving so he could corner this _Tom_ to make him admit he truly was Loki.

 As per his habit, Tom chatted to the customers that stayed and served the ones who only came in briefly and then left, some of the others leaving too, but his mysterious and quiet homeless man seemed to be fully rooted to the chair. He had finished his coffee ages ago and was just nursing an empty cup.

 Eventually, all but the blonde mountain of a man had left as Tom was getting ready to close up. "Bye, guys! Remember, Marian will take good care of you all while I'm busy." They waved to him and he closed the door. The homeless guy still hadn't moved from the chair and Tom was getting a really bad feeling about it all.

 Marian came out of the kitchen, folding a dishrag. "I've finished cleaning up in there, boss," she said and then saw Thor sitting there. She leaned in to whisper to Tom so that only he would hear her. "Want me to call the police?"

 Tom shook his head and herded her to the back. "No, it's fine, Marian. Go out the back and lock up there. I'll take care of this." He smiled reassuringly at her.

 After making sure Marian listened to him, he approached the man tentatively. "Alright, buddy, it's time to go now."

 His stomach emptier than ever, Thor was grumpy, then saw this _Tom_ approaching. The resemblance to Loki was baffling and he wondered how long the game would go if this was just another of Loki's fads to get attention. He stood slowly. "Enough, Loki. This game of yours has lasted long enough." he said through clenched teeth. "Show me your true self."

 Tom's brows furrowed in confusion. "Sorry, what?"

 The God stood up and gripped the smaller man's bicep. "Stop this charade. The Allfather AND Mother have sent me to fetch you, Loki. It is time to return home and to your duties."

 Tom was acutely aware that the grip on his arm was alarmingly strong. And despite evidence to the contrary, there were no shakes, no pallid skin, Tom thought perhaps the man was on steroids; he certainly looked the part. Tom decided to be firm, but not condescending. "I'm really sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about."

 Thor tightened his grip. " _Enough, I said!"_ he shouted. "You have had your pleasure playing this _Tom_ man, but I was sent to take you home. I have better things to do than play fetch with you."

 Tom flinched and hissed in pain. "Ow! Let go!" He tried to pull from the grip and was, fortunately, successful. He rubbed the ache. "Look, mate, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. I don't know who you think I am, but I am _not_ him. I'm not playing a game and I'm not going anywhere with you."

 A low rumble, like thunder, rose in Thor’s chest. "Oh yes, you are. I am not about to wait until this fad passes, Loki!" he said, gritting his teeth.

 Getting particularly annoyed, Tom pressed his lips together. He had to get this guy to leave so he tried a different approach. "Do you need any help? Is there someone I can call for you? There's a shelter not far from here. I could give you the address. I, er, have a scarf and hat you can have. It's not much, but the shelter will have more suitable things..."

 Gripping the smaller man’s other arm, Thor growled. "No, I will _not_ leave. Since you are living upstairs, or so it seems, you will explain to me what in the Norns you're doing in this place up there." He pushed Tom towards the front door, forcing him to lock it so they would not be disturbed.

 Tom grunted as he was shoved. He looked out the window to see if anyone was about, but it had started raining, an unusual thing considering the skies had been clear all day, and the people were too busy rushing about to get under cover. He felt a push on his back, so he locked the door quickly, hoping he wasn’t about to be murdered. The large blond then manhandled him to the back door.

 "Go!" Thor growled when he felt resistance.

 Panic made Tom’s gut clench as he was pushed. He tried to resist, certain the man wanted to do him some real harm. "Wait, what's this about? Please? I...I don't want any trouble. There’s money in the safe; I’ll give it to you..."

 "This is about you playing the same old tricks you always have, Loki,” Thor interrupted. “I've grown tired of them, especially now that I have to chase after you to restore what you may have destroyed." He pushed Tom through the door, seeing stairs leading up. "Go up...where it seems you live."

 Tom tripped up the first step, seeing the man loom over him. Having no desire for the blond beast to come up to his home, suddenly thinking murder might not be the worst thing that might happen to him, Tom pleaded. "Look, take whatever you want, but just leave. I'm not this _Loki_ person you think I am. My name is Tom Hiddleston and I'm not destroying anything!" he said with sudden despair. He gasped at the pain with the man’s grip and had no choice but to comply, feeling his arm might break. “What do you want with me?”

 "I do not want anything but your admission of guilt," Thor barked. He squeezed Tom's bicep enough to almost lift him from the stair, forcing him upstairs. Tom whimpered and scrambled along.

 When they got to the top of the stairs, Tom fumbled in his pocket for the door keys. He trembled as he untangled them. _Oh god, oh god...I'm gonna die! If this guy can't be convinced I'm not_ Loki _, he could get_ really _angry!_ The man let go of him while Tom unlocked the door, and as he got it open, he dove inside and tried to close the door behind him. The move was unsuccessful, so Tom reached for his mobile to call the police. A booming voice stopped him.

 "Put that down _now_!" Thor said. He called Mjölnir, which he had hidden outside, the hammer much too noticeable. Thankfully for Tom, he had left a window open. Mjölnir slapped in Thor’s palm and another low rumble rose in his chest. "Enough, Loki, I am getting bored of this. It is time to return to Asgard!"

 Barely listening with his phone in hand, Tom tried to dial with shaking fingers. When the strange hammer flew through his open window from nowhere, he gasped and nearly fell backwards, sitting heavily on his couch. "W...what the fuck is _that_??"

 Narrowing his eyes, Thor stared. "You've taken on their clothes, and now their colloquialisms? You really have gone off the deep end, Loki. And for what?" Mjölnir hummed with power, thunder rumbling outside.

 A loud crack of thunder followed a blinding flash of lightning and it made Tom duck involuntarily. He could hear the rain pouring outside and he looked up at the man above him. Then, something registered in him. _Loki? Asgard? This sudden storm?_ Tom looked at him questioningly. "Wh-who...are you?"

 A snort was Thor's response. "Do I really need to give you my full title?"

 Tom, still clutching onto the phone like a lifeline, nodded. He eyed the weapon in this man's large meaty hands warily. The hammer was humming with electricity.

 Gritting his teeth, Thor stood up to his full height. "I am Thor Odinson, Prince of Asgard, God of Thunder. But then, you already know that, brother," he let out with a stern tone.

 Tom swallowed though his throat was dry. Eyes wide, he slowly shook his head in denial. _This...can't be real!_


	3. Chapter 2

_Previously_

  _Gritting his teeth, Thor stood up to his full height. "I am Thor Odinson, Prince of Asgard, God of Thunder. But then, you already know that, brother!" he let out with a stern tone._

  _Tom swallowed though his throat was dry. Eyes wide, he slowly shook his head in denial. This...can't be real!_

~~

Faint memories of learning about the Norse gods flashed in the back of Tom’s mind and something made him realise that this man, this _Thor_ , thought he was Loki, the God of Mischief. "I...I'm not your brother," he said, holding a hand up as if to ward Thor off in case he decided to attack.

 The god sighed. "We have been over this, Loki. We've discussed it with Mother and Father extensively. You being adopted changes absolutely nothing to me or to them!” he explained. “So stop this nonsense and we will go home," Thor growled.

 Tom looked at him incredulously. "No, I mean I'm _really_ not your brother." He put the phone down slowly and stood up just as slowly wary of any movements the other man made. "Look... _Thor_...I think you have me mistaken for someone else, so...why don't you just leave and..."

 Thor stepped closer. "I mean it, Loki,” he said, his anger growing. “We grew up together; I love you like a brother. Your origins do not matter to me. Come home now. Stop playing this _Tom_ character!"

 Moving sideways, Tom tried to put some distance between him and Thor. "Look, I mean it now too! Stop it. I'm _not_ your brother, adopted or otherwise, so, please leave!" He pointed to the door, his hand shaking.

 Clenching his jaw and gripping Mjölnir tighter, Thor sighed. "Fine, Loki. You want to play this game? Then I will watch you like a hawk until you stop playing. But I will not leave."

 Tom's mouth dropped open. "You will _not_! You're mad!" He laughed with disbelief. "I tried to be nice, gave you a free coffee and you've latched onto me, threatening me with that...that...prop from a Hollywood movie department!" His voice was high pitched as he gesticulated with his arms. Exasperated, he grabbed his phone again to dial 999.

 Thor raised Mjölnir, making it crackle with his power. "Put. The. Device. Down, LOKI!” he bellowed. “I will not hesitate to use Mjölnir on you."

 Taking a chance that the god was bluffing, Tom dashed behind the couch, hearing a voice on the line.

  _"Emergency services..."_

 Taking a breath, Tom began to speak frantically. "Yes, hello? I'm being held prisoner in my own..." The hammer flew, grazing his hand and knocking the phone from his grip.

 With a yelp escaping his lips, Tom jumped back, but the touch of the hammer to the phone sent a shock up his arm. He misstepped and fell backwards onto his ass, shaking his hand to combat the numbness, followed by the pins and needles. He looked up wide-eyed at Thor as the blond approached him, then scrambled back until his back hit a wall. "Please don't hurt me!" he begged.

 “Do _not_ involve mortals in this, Loki,” Thor growled. "I am not here to hurt you, brother, I am here to take you home. Or at the least, watch you while you get this out of your system. So make a decision. Am I staying here with you or are you coming home to Asgard?"

 Tom was trembling, his breath short. He blinked away the blurriness from his vision. He knew he needed to calm down, get control back, and this was going horribly wrong. "Okay, okay," he said. He pushed up and slid his back up the wall, still pressing tightly against it. "Let's just...think about this for a moment..." He glanced at his phone, which was on the floor, cracked, broken. He had no choice but to comply with Thor; he couldn't call for help anymore, not unless he left the flat and went downstairs to use the payphone...or screamed bloody murder out the window.

 Taking a deep breath, Tom looked back at Thor. "How do I know you're telling the truth? How do I know you're really this...Thor of Asgard?"

 His eyes narrowing, Thor crossed his large arms together. "Do you really need another demonstration?" He clenched his jaw; outside, thunder rolled again and lightning cracked, then rain started pouring heavily.

 Tom looked at the window and narrowed his eyes. "Are...are you _doing_ that?" He asked, pointing to the dark black clouds and rain. "Can you make it stop?"

 Breathing in deeply, Thor concentrated for a moment; the rain stopped, the skies clearing as well. "You know of this, but if it pleases you and helps you make a decision, I will do it as much as you need, brother.”

 Tom had been staring out the window as the rain and clouds dispersed and almost missed Thor’s words. He turned to him slowly. "I am not..." He stopped and took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I need a cup of tea." He trudged into the room adjacent to the room they were in and flipped the light switch. Mechanically, he filled the kettle with water and turned it on, then took two mugs, popping PG Tips into them, tapping a finger on the counter, waiting for the water to boil. His mind was racing. _A Norse god is in my flat...and he thinks I'm his brother, Loki...why?_

 Not letting Tom out of his sight, Thor followed, glancing around, watching him prepare what seemed like drinks.

 "What makes you think I'm this Loki person?" Tom asked when he saw the reflection of the tall blond in the window. He had, of course, followed him.

 His question made Thor raise an eyebrow. "Your looks, your height. Your build is slightly different, though just as your hair is a different colour,” he explained.

 The kettle clicked off and Tom poured the water in the two mugs. "So, I look similar. Lots of people look similar to others." He headed to the fridge to pull out the milk and poured a dash into his mug. "Milk?"

 "No, thank you," Thor replied. It made him frown and he crossed his arms again. "It is not simple similarities. It is astounding. You are the Trickster God, Loki, you should have done this better, hidden in another way if you did not want to be found this quickly."

 Tom put the milk away and put two sugars in his. "Sugar?" he asked ignoring the statement.

 Thor sat at the kitchen table, shook his head in refusal, and put Mjölnir on the floor with a dull thud. "You merely changed your likeness slightly. I would call that laziness on your part..."

 "So...what you're saying is that you think I'm your adopted brother, Loki, the Trickster God, but that he's so inept at it that the disguise gave me away?" Tom turned around as he spoke and pushed Thor's black, sugarless tea over to him.

 Thinking for a moment, Thor nodded. "Yes. I can see through you so very easily. Do not forget the centuries we have spent together," he said. "You will need more than that to fool me."

 A loud sigh escaped Tom’s lips. "And what could I do to convince you that I am _not_ Loki? You said you would...um...watch me like a hawk? If I let you observe me, will you leave?" he asked.

 "Perhaps, if my observations are satisfactory!" Thor sipped his tea and made a face of distaste. "This is nothing like the Japanese made it in the 15th century!" he said, annoyed.

 "Yeah, well this is England. You get _English_ breakfast tea here," Tom said snippily. He sat back, thinking for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine, fine, you can 'observe' me."

 The two stared at each other for a good few minutes, Thor grinning at his minor victory until Tom snapped out of it. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. Am I allowed to make some dinner?"

 "Proceed," Thor nodded, watchful as ever. "As you know, _Tom,_ I have quite the appetite,” he said, using the name Loki had chosen to indulge him. “You’d better prepare a feast!" Thor was still smiling wickedly, knowing that despite Loki’s delicate palate for the finer foods on Asgard, he could not cook them. The best Loki could do was cooking over an open flame on hunting trips, and even then he used magic to aid him.

 Tom blinked at him a few times. "Er, yes, well...there could be a problem with that since I wasn't expecting company." He went over to the fridge and looked inside, then did the same in the freezer. He found some Bolognese he'd made too much of a while ago and decided that would have to do. He placed the frozen contents of the container in a microwaveable bowl and set the microwave to quick defrost. He then looked in a cupboard for spaghetti. He put on a lot more than he usually had just for himself, much more. "I'll have to go grocery shopping if you're going to insist on staying...um..how long will you be staying?" he asked, turning to Thor.

 "As long as I will need to be convinced,” the god replied. “I will accompany you wherever you need to go! You will not leave my side."

 Rolling his eyes and sighing, Tom then detailed the clothes Thor was wearing. "Do you have anything else to wear, other than that? You look like a homeless person, which is what I thought you were when you came into the shop."

 Nodding, Thor took another sip of tea, clicking his tongue with disdain. "I have my attire hidden, but I chose this to hide amongst mortals. Is this not good enough?"

 "I suppose I could patch the holes and wash them to get the smell out of them," Tom said aloud, but more to himself, scrunching his nose. "But, if you're going to be here longer, you'll need other stuff. You can't wear that for...days." He used the word _days_ with a hopeful tone. _With any luck, Thor will be convinced of my innocence in that time,_ he thought.

 "You can...wash? When did you learn that, brother? Did you ask a maid to teach you?" Thor asked, amused.

 Tom raised an eyebrow and stepped aside to indicate the washing machine under the sink. "It's automatic."

 "Au...tomatic? What is that? A Midgardian device?"

 "Midgardian? What's that?" Tom asked, but then answered Thor's question anyway. "It washes the clothes for you. You stick them in with washing powder and fabric softener and it swooshes it all around and rinses and then you hang them up to dry. Then you have clean clothes. And you can do something else while it's going," he explained.

 Taking in the explanation, Thor looked at the machine, then back at Tom. “You know what Midgard is. Shall I explain the Realms to you?" he asked with heavy sarcasm. _Although you already know!_ he thought.

 The microwave beeped and Tom headed over to make sure the meat was ready to be reheated. "You can if you want to," he said as he put the cold mince into a saucepan. He began heating it over a low flame as the pasta began to boil.

 Watching carefully, Thor didn't move from the table. He had never seen his brother be so domestic, washing and cooking. He wondered what had happened on Midgard to make him do such things. "Who did you have to enchant to steal these living quarters?"

 Not the least bit disconcerted, Tom, with his back to Thor as he stirred and added a few spices to the mince, answered. "I've lived here for three years. I had to save for two before that to come up with a deposit the bank would accept, and then I was finally accepted for the mortgage on both the flat and the shop. It was a hefty deposit since the bank wasn't convinced London needed another cafe." He chuckled. "I showed them!"

 The fact that Lokiwas slipping through his questions annoyed Thor. "And what is your long term plan? Become a woman in the kitchen to serve people?"

 Tom turned slightly to look at Thor. "What?" he asked. "Are you asking me if I'm planning a sex change, or are you saying only women work in kitchens, because that's really very unenlightened of you...either way."

 Thor snorted. "Cooking is both for male and female, I will give you that. But what is it you do downstairs? Serving? We only have female servers in Asgard, you know that!"

 His eyebrows raised with disbelief, Tom laughed. "Oh dear god, I'm dealing with a misogynist." He turned back to stir the mince. "I should warn you that I am very close to my mother and two sisters, and god or not, I will set them on you to thump you if you carry on like that."

 "Women cannot take me on. No Midgardian can, man or woman," Thor laughed. "They can try, but I doubt of their success. And I meant no disrespect. Their work is appreciated and they usually are far more delicate and hardworking than us men in a household."

 The pasta began to boil over and Tom turned down the heat, continuing to stir the mince as it began to bubble away. "Okay, but to answer your question, Marian was only cooking today because my regular chef had to take his daughter to a special school thing. Thankfully, not everyone wanted food. She's not the best cook."

 He took the pasta off the hob and covered it, pouring the water out. "But I serve the customers when they come in, take their food orders. Since I own the business, I'm also responsible for the money and all the behind the scenes things, like ordering stock and, well, taking care of everything." He plated up the spaghetti, giving Thor much more than himself and spooned a lot of mince on the plates. "Do you use a knife to cut your spaghetti, or a spoon to twirl it on the fork?" he asked.

 Thor inspected what was put in front of him, smelling it even, finding it interesting. He was definitely hungry and recognized the dish as being Italian, having been in Italy a few decades before. "I have had this before. I twirl it like I was taught." He grabbed a fork and a spoon, twirling the pasta and slurping it noisily.

 Tom sat down and began cutting up his spaghetti. He saw Thor looking at him strangely. He blushed. "I never got the hang of spaghetti. I love it, but I could never twirl it. It still kept falling off my fork, or when I used to suck a strand up, it would slap me in the face. In the end, my mother made me cut it, and ever since then, I've just eaten it like this." He put a forkful in his mouth and still managed to slurp a too long piece. It smacked him on the cheek and he groaned. "See?"

 While listening to the explanation, Thor ate, but almost choked when he saw the spaghetti smacking Tom's cheek. "I see you would need more lessons. It is simple, really, Loki." He demonstrated with his spoon and fork how to do it while still being very noisy.

 "I'm not Loki," Tom sighed. He had already cut up his food, so he continued to eat. He watched Thor all the way through. The man ate great mouthfuls at a time and some sauce went into his beard and at one point, his long hair dipped into the sauce as he leaned forward.

 Thor grunted, seeing the mess he was making. "And this is why this food is not served in Asgard," he said when he was finished. He burped loudly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "What is the next course?"

 Leaning forward to avoid some pasta falling off his fork, Tom looked up. "Hmm? Course?" He chewed the food and swallowed. " _That_...was it."

 "But I am still hungry. I am a warrior, Loki, you should know that. We need more sustenance!" Thor protested.

 Tom frowned. "It's _Tom_ , and I don't have anything else..." He stood up and looked in the fridge again. "I have some cheese and a few slices of bread. I could make you a sandwich."

 "Cheese? Yes, that should do. And mead!" Thor said loudly. "You will need food since I will be here for some time, brother."

 Tom groaned...it seemed he would be doing a lot of that, and started making Thor a triple sandwich. "I don't have any 'mead'."

 "Then what do you drink outside of that tasteless tea? Wine?" Thor stood up to observe the man's movements, seeing he was adept in the kitchen. "What type of cheese is that?" he asked, pointing to the food.

 "Cheddar, extra mature, so it has a lot of flavour, a good punch to it." Tom finished the sandwich and out of habit, he cut it in half. He handed the plate to Thor. "And I don't have any wine either. If you want alcohol, you'll have to go to the off license like everyone else does."

 Sighing, Thor sat with the plate and started eating the sandwich. "Then water will do for now. But what will you have to eat now? Or are you already full, brother?"

 Tom clenched his jaw. He was going to have to let the man call him whatever he wanted, leave it rather than fight it all the way, otherwise, he was going to get himself riled up. "I'm good now. I don't eat that much in the evenings. I have a big breakfast, a medium lunch and then a smaller dinner. This was a lot for me." He poured some water from the jug in the fridge and gave it to Thor.

 The god drank deeply, finished the sandwich, and again, burped loudly. "You actually do well in the kitchen. Did your...chef teach you that since you've been in Midgard?" He wondered what Loki had been doing since he disappeared. _If he is actually_ learning _from these Midgardians, maybe it is a good thing,_ he thought.

 Getting up, Tom started doing the dishes. "No, it's just taught to most kids as they grow up, otherwise when they leave home, they'd never be able to feed themselves." He clattered the dishes a little more loudly than he normally would. He decided to preempt more questions for Thor by asking him a few question. "So, what does an Asgardian god do after a meal?"

 "You should know that, brother. I usually spend nights with Lady Sif & The Warriors Three. Some nights, I visit the tavern or a brothel. Asgardian women are quite bendy!" he said with a lewd grin. "But I rarely saw you with any. You love your _books_ too much," he said, teasing.

 "Ah, a man after my own heart," Tom said wistfully. He smiled. "Your brother sounds fascinating, but tell me more about you, Thor." He dried the dishes and turns to face the blond.

 Thor tilted his head to the side, his eyebrow raised. “Very well, I will play your game. I am Commander General of the Asgardian Armies, God of Thunder and Fertility. But then again, you know that. What are you trying to make me say, brother?"

 It was obvious to Tom that he was going to have to treat Thor with kid gloves. He put the last of the dishes away and wiped the surfaces down. "Let's pretend, for a moment, that I'm _not_ your brother and I know nothing about you except what I learned in a very brief lesson on the Norse gods when I was in school about fifteen years ago." He smiled. "Tell more about you. But, let's do it in the living room." He left the kitchen.

 Not having much of a choice but to follow, Thor let himself fall into a large chair in the living room, groaning as it was a bit small for him. "Alright, then. For your ‘learning’ pleasure, I enjoy travelling. The Nine Realms have gems to see, especially Alfheim and Vanaheim. The customs of their people are lovely. I am not a scholar like you, but I do enjoy an intelligent conversation," he replied. "And you, what do you so enjoy about Midgard?"

 Tom sat on his couch heavily, glad to be off his feet for the moment. "Are you asking me what I enjoy doing with my free time?"

 The sigh Thor let out was one of annoyance, seeing Loki was trying to dismiss his suspicions but decided on indulging him. "Yes, I am. You have never really enjoyed Midgard before."

 Tom smiled and leaned back. "Well, for the last year or so, I've been using my free time to renovate this place." He indicated the room, but meant the flat as a whole, taking pride in his work. "Only have the guest bedroom to do now. But other than that, I enjoy watching tennis in the summer, the occasional football match, reading Shakespeare..."

 "Tennis? Football?" Thor frowned. "And _Sheikspire_? What is that?" he asked, bewildered.

 Tom sat up straight, his eyes wide, then they narrowed. "I’m sorry, what? You...you don't know who…? Shakespeare? The greatest literary genius who has ever lived?!" _This guy’s pulling my leg!_ he thought.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Google was used to look up all things Shakespeare, including Tom’s opinion of it.

  _PREVIOUSLY…_

_"Tennis? Football?" Thor frowned. "And Sheikspire? What is that?" he asked, bewildered._

  _Tom sat up straight, his eyes wide, then they narrowed. "I’m sorry, what? You...you don't know who…? Shakespeare? The greatest literary genius who has ever lived?!" This guy’s pulling my leg! he thought._

 Clearing his throat, Thor shifted in the uncomfortable seat. "Oh, well, put in that context...the name is familiar. I might have met him on one of my visits on Midgard. A man of words, I believe?"

 Tom seemed relieved, even if not entirely convinced, but he still rose and headed over to the bookcase and grabbed several books. He returned to Thor and started placing books in the god’s lap as he named them. " _Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, Titus Andronicus, Cleopatra, Coriolanus_...and those are just _some_ of his works, the tragedies. He wrote comedies as well. _Merry Wives of Windsor, Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado about Nothing, Taming of the Shrew_..."

 Thor stifled a yawn. "Yes, yes, now I remember. He had those playing in villages. He was not liked all that much then. What do you so enjoy about a man long dead?" he asked, slightly bored.

 Tom laughed as if Thor had just told the greatest joke. "What do I enjoy about it? He describes the experience of being human more perfectly than any other writer and describes it with exquisite beauty. Okay, it's not a simple thing to 'get' at first. It's not easy or quick. Many people give up. But it's wonderful! Like a good work of art, Shakespeare's plays express aspects of life that transcend time!”

 Tom paced up and down as he continued to speak passionately about his favourite playwright. “Love, revenge, war, and political intrigue are just a few themes found in his works that are applicable to any age. He continues to be read enthusiastically because those themes can still be connected to one's own time, from falling in love to the removal of a corrupt official to domestic relations..."

 Watching with an eyebrow raised, Thor then remembered why he had not stayed long in Stratford back when the bard was alive. He raised his hand. "Enough, I understand.” He tried desperately to change the subject. “And what is _tennis_? Please tell me it is something physical!"

 A bit annoyed to have been stopped mid-rant, Tom was nevertheless happy that Thor asked him about something he had equal passion about. "Tennis! Yes, it is physical, very demanding of stamina sometimes. It's a battle of wits and strength against your opponent!"

 "I can do that! I am a valiant fighter, the strongest in Asgard! I could defeat you easily in a battle of tennis!" Thor rose from his seat, gearing up for action.

 Tom watched the large man rise, seeing that he looked ready for a fight. Tom held his hands up. "Whoa there, eager! Tennis is either a fun pastime or a serious sport. And I'm not about to take you to my local tennis courts at this time of the day!"

 Thor frowned. "Then what do you do? It is barely night!" He sat back. "You have no mead, no wine, no whores. Unless you have hidden whores?" he asked hopefully.

 His eyes widening, Tom cleared his throat. "Er, no, but if you really want to have sex that much, there's a red light district a looong way away from here. Perhaps you should leave and go there? I'm sure they'll have mead and wine,” he replied, hoping the god would leave.

 Clenching his jaw, Thor shook his head. "I told you I would keep an eye on you. You will not distract me so easily!" he said sternly. "So, what do you do in the evenings then? Midgard is very different from Asgard as for entertainment."

 Tom nodded and plonked himself down on the couch again, taking up the remote control. He turned on the television. "I watch things I've recorded but didn't have time to watch. And because I have a busy day tomorrow, I will be starting early, so will go to bed early." He set up to watch a couple of episodes of Doctor Who he’d missed recently.

 Thor sat back down and watched for a moment, wondering who that _Doctor_ was, seeing nothing resembling the Midgardian medicine men he knew of. The story was intricate and he was soon bored with the image box. He stood and walked around the room, looking at books, touching trinkets, almost tipping some over.

 Hearing a noise, Tom turned just in time to see a trophy nearly topple over. "Ooh hey, stop! Be careful!" He sprang up and righted the little memento which said "World's Best uncle". He sighed, seeing that Thor was bored. "Look, you've imposed this on yourself, so you're going to have to either suck it up and watch the telly with me, or just...leave." He placed his hands on his hips and frowned. "Now, what will it be?"

 Almost pouting, Thor returned to his seat. "The telly," he grumbled. He tried to watch the infamous Doctor again but was still bored. He toughed it out until a loud electronic sound played and writings came up over the images.

 Tom yawned as the show ended. He looked at the large clock on the wall. It was still early, but not so early that he wouldn't consider going to bed. The evening and events had taxed him. "Well, I'm off to bed. Early to bed, early to rise and all that." He stretched and stood up. "I'll just get you some things so you can sleep on the couch." He headed for his bedroom.

 Waiting for Tom to return, Thor stood and waited, seeing the mortal with his arms full of bedding and pillows. "This...couch? Is it comfortable? I need comfort to sleep well!" It hadn’t exactly been comfortable to _sit_ on!

  _I don't really care about your comfort right now, mate!_ Tom smiled, hiding his stretched patience. "Sure! I used to sleep on it before I got a bed." He dumped the stuff down. "Well, goodnight." He turned and headed back into the bedroom.

 "What is this?” Thor asked, pointing to the mass of pillows and blankets. “I need a maid to prepare my bed. I am not...in the know of those things. Perhaps a bed would suit better?"

 Tom poked his head out the bedroom door. "I don't have a spare bed at the moment and it's really simple. Pillow goes under your head, blankets go over your body. Goodnight." He disappeared.

 Thor stood in the middle of the room in disbelief, then tried to make a bed, seeing it was almost like a cot the soldiers used in times of war. He gathered the pillows on one end, unfolded a blanket, then another when he saw it wasn't long enough to cover his whole body.

 He finally laid down, the street light coming from the window beaming directly in his eyes, thinking it would extinguish like the torches. But they didn’t. He tossed and turned, sighed and grunted, trying to find sleep, but this couch, as Loki/Tom called it, was possibly the most uncomfortable bed he had ever been on, worse than those of brothels, or out in the field of battle.

 Sitting on his bed, Tom put his face in his hands. "What the hell is going on?" he whined to himself. He shook his head and stood up. He entered his small end-suite washroom. There was no bath or shower; that was in the main bathroom, but he'd managed to squeeze a toilet and a basin in this tiny space and he used it to brush his teeth and take a piss before bed.

 He changed into his pajama bottoms and went to lie in his large bed and he sighed, trying to relax. It was going to be a strange few days...unless he could convince Thor he was not Loki. _But how can you convince someone you're not someone else?_ Tom sighed again, turned onto his side, and switched off his light, then noticed the lights were still on in the living room. _Thor must not be ready to sleep_ , he thought. Shrugging, he closed his eyes and drifted off into a restful sleep.

 After a few hours of tossing and turning, Thor sat upright on the couch. Never had he had such a bad night with barely any sleep since the last war with the Jotnar had ended. His back ached, his head was throbbing from the constant light shining in his eyes, and his hunger was defying reality. He did not see any food lying around, nor mead, so he laid back, telling himself he needed sleep. He closed his eyes and finally drifted off.

 ~~

 

Despite the strange end to his day, Tom slept surprisingly well. His alarm went off early and he practically leaped from the bed. He grinned. _Time for a jog before everyone wakes up!_ He put on a pair of tight jogging bottoms and a t-shirt, as well as a thick hoodie for the cold autumnal morning.

 Tom laced up his trainers and opened the bedroom door quietly. He noticed the lights were still on, but Thor was asleep on the couch, though _on_ might have been too strong a word since the blond was half hanging off. _If I leave without waking him up so he can keep an eye on me, he might think I'm Loki trying to evade him._

 He went into the kitchen and took two bottles of water from the fridge, then went back into the living room. He slammed a bottle onto the coffee table, which startled Thor. The bulky man grunted when he landed heavily on the floor. "Morning!" Tom said in a sing-song voice.

 Thor glanced up, seeing Tom smiling. "What are you so cheerful about? You are a terrible host! I am a Prince, I have never been treated in such a way! I need better bedding!" he said as he slowly rose to his full height. He looked Tom up and down. "Where are you going?" A low, threatening rumble rose from his chest.

 Tom ignored it. " _We_ are going for a morning run. I thought since you don't want me out of your sight that you would have to come with me." He opened his bottle of water and sipped it. "Of course, if you'd prefer to remain here..."

 "You are not going anywhere without me surveilling you!" Thor huffed. He cracked his neck. “Running is not that enjoyable. Perhaps we could train by sparring?"

 Tom chuckled. "Because I'm neither a boxer nor an ancient Norse god. And I love running." He lifted the hood over his head and grabbed his earphones before remembering that his phone was broken; he wouldn't be able to listen to music. He turned to Thor, more annoyed now. "Come on. The park's not too far."

 Thor followed closely as Tom led him to the park, seeing how beautiful London was in the early morning. The sun was barely up and the wind fresh. He kept up with Tom’s rapid walking pace until they stopped near a bench. He stopped as well, drinking some water. "Are you done now we can return to your living quarters!" He was already bored, even with the nice view.

 Stretching his limbs, Tom frowned. “Go back? We haven't even started yet! I usually run the whole circumference of this park, twice on a bad day!” he exclaimed.

 An annoyed sigh was Thor's response. "Alright,” he grumbled. “But even I do not impose this on my troops. This does not prepare you for battle!" He stretched his arms as well, flexing his muscles, then crouched down then up then down again. "I will follow closely,” he warned Tom.

 Nodding, Tom started jogging at his normal pace. It was quite fast since he had long legs. He missed his music along the way, but he ran with the knowledge he had company...albeit, the company was behind him. He turned his head to check and realized Thor was _way_ behind him!

 To follow Tom, Thor couldn’t jog, he had to _run_ after him. He was taller than him, but also bulkier. He tried to concentrate on his breathing, and he stared at Tom’s back but was soon bored with the running in itself. His upper body was so developed that it made him too heavy to be fast or keep it up for a prolonged period of time. He huffed and puffed, gritting his teeth, then looked up to see Tom was much too far. Too far for him to catch up by simply running. Not liking the situation, Thor growled and extended his arm, calling on Mjölnir.

 With a whistling sound, the hammer came to him, slapping in his palm. Thor then commanded it to fly and lifted off, catching up with Tom. "You should not go so fast!"

 Tom gasped when Thor landed right in front of him. "What do you think you're doing?" he hissed through his teeth. He looked up into the air and then around frantically. "You can't go around flying with your hammer! People might see!"

 Nearby, a few gasps of surprise were heard and Thor turned around and saw a man looking like the one he had seen the night before when he took his disguise. Laughing heartily, Thor crossed his arms when he looked at Tom. "None command me, Loki, you should know that."

 Noticing the man nearby, Tom detailed him. He was wavering on his feet, paper bag in his hand and looking confused. Likely he was drunk, and wouldn't really be believed if he told anyone about a flying man. Still annoyed, Tom pressed his lips together. "Okay, but don’t do it again. I'll jog slower so you can keep up, alright?"

 Nodding, Thor started running at Tom’s pace, holding Mjölnir along. He followed Tom around the park once, twice, but when Tom went in for a third, Thor gripped his bicep. "You said twice on bad days. We have gone twice already. Shall I fly us back to your living quarters now?" he asked.

 Panting, Tom pulled free from Thor's grip. "This isn't a bad day." He wiped some sweat from his brow. "Come on, Thor! You're disrupting my routine. You wanted to observe _me_ , so you can't stop me from doing what I would normally. You won't get a sense of what I do." He saw Thor looking thunderous. "Okay, okay. But tomorrow, we're doing three! And we'll _walk_ back, not fly!"

 "Have you never flown?" Thor asked as he started walking toward the entrance of the park. "It's much faster and so much more enjoyable!"

 Tom rolled his eyes. "In a plane, yes, but never by...what...what _is_ that, anyway?" he asked, pointing to the hammer at Thor's side.

 Grinning, Thor lifted the hammer. "This is Mjölnir, one of the most fearsome weapons in the nine Realms. It was made by Sindri and Brokkr. It is my weapon, almost like an additional limb. I could level this…” He looked around, gesturing to their surroundings. “I could level this whole park with it!"

 "But you won't, right?” Tom asked nervously. “Why do you even have that?" He looked speculatively at Thor.

 The god sighed. "It was given to me so I could smite someone or something as hard as I wanted. I can use it to build, or bring down constructions and enemies with it. I was told it would never fail, that I would never miss, and that it would always return to me. It is _my_ weapon as long as I am worthy of it!" He flexed his hand around the hammer, which hummed with power.

 "And apparently you can fly with it.” Tom smiled. “So that's something too."

 They reached Tom's shop. "Do you mind if I go into the shop?” Tom asked. “Because you...manhandled me into my flat last night, I didn't have a chance to cash up."

 With a nod, Thor agreed. "I will follow you." He pushed the door open and noticed the smell. "Someone is in here already. It smells...heavenly! What is this delicious odour?”

 Tom took in the smell, walking to the kitchen to see Marian already baking. She smiled and turned to him. “Morning, boss! Went for your run I s..." The woman stopped talking when she noticed Thor behind him.

 He moved just enough to hide Mjölnir. "My Lady!" He bowed his head slightly and smiled. "It smells quite delicious here!"

 Marian blushed at being called 'Lady' but moved slowly towards Tom, mixing bowl in hand, beating eggs, sugar and flour together. "Is everything okay?" she asked in a low voice. "Do I need to call the police?"

 "No, it's fine,” Tom said, shaking his head. “Turns out he's not a hobo, but a...um…” He had to take a moment to make up a credible lie. “He’s an undercover reporter on a mission to find the friendliest cafe around. We're already quite high up on the list since I gave him a free coffee." He grinned at her, hoping she wouldn't ask more questions. "Look, I didn't have time to cash up last night, so I'm going to take the banking upstairs. I'll bring it all back down when I'm done."

 Nodding, Marian smiled. "No problem, boss! Andie and I will take care of the shop. Get that room fixed so we can properly christen that flat!"

 Glancing around while Tom exchanged with his employee, Thor looked around, then started rummaging for food, his stomach growling. "Have you any sustenance?"

 Marian looked at Tom, who nodded. "I can whip up a full English,” she told him.

 Tom smiled. "Thank you, that’d be great. I haven't actually been grocery shopping yet. I'm going later today." He turned away from Marian. "I'll do the banking here then if you need any help."

 He left the kitchen and headed to the cash register. He opened it up, took out the receipts and cash, putting them on a table. He then went to the tiny office in the back and fetched his laptop, bringing all of it over to the table as well. He sat down, ignoring Thor for the moment as he loaded his spreadsheets.

 The god watched as Tom moved with ease around the kitchen, then the office. He was torn between keeping an eye on him and the food that was being prepared. But having seen food before, he went to Tom, sitting before him. "Is this...banking?" he asked, pointing to the laptop. "Will this be the way to provide me with suitable clothing?"

 After inputting another figure, Tom glanced up from his spreadsheet. "Oh, so now I have to buy you clothes? You've imposed yourself on me, why would provide for you? It's bad enough that I'm going to obviously have to buy a lot more food later just to feed you adequately!" he replied with slight anger.

 His eyes narrowing, Thor gritted his teeth. "Had you not come to Midgard, Loki, this would not be happening!” he sneered, keeping his tone low. "You want to play Midgardian? I will play along!"

 Tom glared at him or a long time then sighed. Thor still didn’t believe he wasn’t Loki. "Fine. We'll go to the nearest charity shop and see what we can get you. I'm not spending loads on you." He then ignored Thor, concentrating on the spreadsheet and counting the money. He pushed it aside when Marian brought over two huge plates of fried eggs, bacon, mushrooms, hash browns, sausages, and toast and butter.

 The woman looked pleased with herself. "Tadah!" she said.

 Laughing, Tom thanked her. "Yes, well done. Can we get some orange juice as well, darling?" She nodded and hurried back into the kitchen. "And some coffee!" Tom called out.

 Thor looked at everything on his plate, licking his lips. "At least, this woman knows how to feed me!" He took a mouthful of fried eggs, then ripped a piece of toast with his teeth, groaning in delight.

 Marian brought over juice and coffee, then a small jug of milk and sugar. Thor took the mug of coffee and emptied half of it. "This is delicious!" He drank more, wiggling his eyebrows at the woman.

 The cook nodded, blushing. "Thank you. I'm going to leave you two alone to discuss the report." She left and both Thor and Tom ate heartily.

 Running always left Tom hungry and he sipped his juice and coffee. "So, Thor, what do you do in Asgard?" he asked quietly, minding his tone so Marian wouldn’t hear.

 His mouth half full, Thor sat back. "In times of peace, I train with my armies, when the villages are well organized. I organize rebuilds and such when issues come or wars have damaged housing and farms. In times of war, I lead my troops into battle. I am the protector of the people of Asgard,” he explained, even if he knew Loki was already aware of that.

 Tom nodded as Thor spoke and then frowned. "Is that all? Do you have any hobbies? Things you like to do in down time?"

 "The brothels are enjoyable!” Thor said happily. “Or the baths to relax!" Thor grinned lewdly and bit on a sausage, then shoved the rest of a piece of toast in his mouth. "What about you? You...run? And speak of the Shakespeare man?"

 Swallowing his bite, Tom nodded. "And tennis and football. I read other stuff too. Occasionally I go out to a wine bar with friends. But most of my time has been consumed with doing up my flat or running my business,” he said, gesturing toward the ceiling and the café.

 "How long have you been at it? These servants you have here, do they not help you? Perhaps not the Marian Lady, but others?" Thor asked.

 "They're not servants, they're employees! Marian doesn't know a thing about renovation. And… it's kind of been my baby for a while. I've wanted to keep it secret and then invite everyone up for a housewarming party once it's done." Tom smiled wistfully.

 "A party? A party is a great idea!" Thor finished eating. "Let us do that tonight. It might be more interesting than that image box!"

 Tom let out an exasperated sigh at how demanding the god was. "No, not tonight. I haven't finished the guest bedroom,” he explained yet again. “That's what this whole week is supposed to be about. And since you've decided to stick around, we’ll have to go food shopping and clothes shopping for you, so none of _my_ plans can start until tomorrow."

 Thor sat back. "I do not understand what you enjoy so much about Midgard, brother. The food is enjoyable, but the activities? I would rather spend the day in a brothel being cajoled by beautiful women! But since I am stuck here looking after you, I shall endure the task," he said. "Where is this shopping to take place?"

 Finishing his food as well, Tom set out to plan the day. “I’ve got to finish this banking, then I'm going to have a shower. When the shops open, we'll get you some clothes and then go grocery shopping at the local supermarket." He pulled his laptop closer and carried on working for a little while.

 Sitting in silence, Thor looked around. He stood to observe his surroundings, touching almost everything, smelling flowers, poking cushions and pillows. "How much longer?" he asked after a few minutes.

 Tom held a finger up as he was adding some complicated information in. When he was done, he ignored Thor’s question and closed the computer. He picked it up, taking it back to the office, and placed the money in the safe. "Marian! I'm out now. If you need any help, I'm just a call...oh, shit, my phone's busted..." Tom growled to himself. "Just come up for now. I need to get a new phone as well!" he called out. He glared at Thor while heading up to his flat. "I'm going to have a shower."

 Quickly, Thor followed, not wanting to let Tom out of his sight. He grabbed a cupcake that was barely out of the oven. "Thank you, Lady Marian!" He winked and thumped up the stairs. "I would bathe as well!" he called to Tom.

 Tom opened the door to the flat, taking off his hoodie and throwing it onto the couch. "After me. _My_ flat, _my_ shower, _me_ first!” He headed to his bedroom first.

 "In Asgard, there are bathing chambers who fit many. Surely your _shower_ has enough space!" Thor pushed Tom aside and went looking for the washrooms. When he saw the tiny space, he glanced back at Tom. "How do you shower in something so small?" he asked, stupefied, not even seeing where Tom could stand.

 Laughing loudly, Tom explained. "That's just my little water closet so I don't have far to go if I have to take a piss at night. The bathroom, the _bigger_ bathroom, is next to the kitchen. Now, it's not anything like I'm sure they have on Asgard, but it does the job." He headed towards it as he spoke.

 Curious, Thor followed into the larger room but still wasn't impressed. "This is small as well. Two will not fit that bath!" he said, pointing to the tub. "And where are the servants with soaps and warm towels?"

 Tom removed his t-shirt and threw it into the laundry basket. "This isn't Asgard. I don't have servants and maids. It's just me." _At some point, he’ll get it,_ he thought.

 The god frowned. "Then you’ll serve me! I am your guest here, brother, you must!" He stood by the door, crossing his arms. "And hurry, I am… smelly!"

 The odour was strong enough for Tom to agree. "Yes, you are." He placed a hand on Thor's chest and pushed him out the door. "But you’ll wait your turn, and no, I will not serve you." He closed the door in his face with a smile.

 Growling lowly, Thor glared at the closed door, hearing the water running, then Tom whistling in the shower. It seemed like an eternity before the water finally stopped, making him want to crash through the door. But he didn’t, and when Tom came out of the steamy room, he saw he only wore a towel around his slim waist whilst vigorously rubbing his hair with another.

 "All yours.” Tom pointed to a cupboard. “Spare towels are in there and you put your clothes in the washing bin.” He thought that Thor could perhaps throw the clothes away instead, the rank smell having intensified after the jog. “I've got some trousers that are too big for me and a shirt you can borrow after." He left Thor to shower to get dressed.

 Thor entered the bathroom and looked around, stripping quickly to get under the jet. Fortunately for him, plumbing was quite similar to Asgard and he found his bearings easily. He stood under the hot water for a while, getting his hair and body thoroughly wet. A few bottles were on shelves in the shower and he smelled the liquids one by one, finally picking one for both his hair and his body.

It was a loud rumbling bellow that brought Tom running to the bathroom moments later.


	5. Chapter 4

Thor was almost done rinsing when the water turned cold, making him shout. "What in the Norns is this?" he bellowed, stepping out of the shower quickly, almost slipping on the wet floor.

 Alarmed by the shouting, Tom hurried from his bedroom to investigate, finding the god naked and covered in suds. He averted his eyes quickly. "What's wrong?" he asked even though he already had a pretty good idea.

 His nostrils flaring, Thor stared. "The water is cold! This is not enjoyable at all!" Water was puddling at his feet.  "What am I to do now?" he asked.

 Tom suppressed a laugh, still not looking directly at the naked man. "I'll...um...I'll just go turn on the immersion heater. You'll have to wait about 10 minutes, then the water will be hot again,” he explained. I'm sorry. I'm not used to having more than one person here,” he apologized as he headed to the boiler. “I'll set it so that the water stays hot constantly from now on."

 Shivering, Thor nodded and moved to the shower mat, his hair still dripping. He frowned, lifting his head up. "Ten minutes? I will be frozen by then!"

 Once Tom had flicked on the electric heating, he returned with several towels to wrap them around Thor's shoulders. "There you go, that'll keep you warm. Go stand by the radiator, but don't touch it, it's hot." He took a long glance at Thor’s muscular body, swallowing hard.

 Cold already, Thor complied quickly, enjoying the newfound heat when he stood where Tom had shown him. It’s then he noticed the lack of feminine touch, just like his own chambers. "Have you no woman around here?"

 "I don't have time for a girlfriend if that's what you're asking,” Tom replied moving to stand outside the bathroom to give Thor some semblance of privacy. “I did briefly have one about a year ago, but I refused to let her see the place because it was a lot messier than it is now. She thought I was hiding something. It didn't last very long." He shrugged. "And again, I haven't invited my mother or sisters here because there's nowhere for them to sleep...yet."

 "Then you need to finish...how do you say...fixing these chambers to have proper company, male or female! It will be much more enjoyable!" Thor commented, rubbing his hands together to warm up faster.

 Tom pressed his lips together. "Yes, I suppose. I really want to finish doing the work, but one the other hand, I think it's going to feel like I've lost a limb!" He sighed. "I'll have to find a new hobby. Maybe, yes, then there will be time for a relationship..."

 Thor nodded, even though Tom couldn’t see him. "Do you think the water is hot enough now, brother? I do not enjoy being this cold.”

 Entering the bathroom, Tom turned the tap on and nodded, seeing the water ran hot. "Yes, it's fine now, but please, don't spend too long in there now. It costs a fortune to run that electric heater!" He headed to exit the bathroom. "And I'm not your brother." He left.

 Frowning, Thor stepped in the shower and finishing cleaning himself, rinsing his hair as well. Once out of the shower, he dried himself then wrapped a towel around his waist, heading to the living room. "I am in need of clothes. I highly doubt I can go anywhere with only this!" he called out to Tom. His chest was still damp, his wet hair slightly curling, and he stood idle, waiting for a response.

 Tom went into his bedroom and began rifling through his clothes. He and Thor were approximately the same height, so only build was an issue. Seeing all those muscles and unintentionally getting a good glimpse of Thor's genitals… “Some people just had all the genetic luck in the world...or Realms,” he mumbled. _Well, he is a god, after all_ , Tom thought partially envious, partially skeptically. "Aha!" he exclaimed when he finally found a pair of jogging bottoms that were elasticated at the waist and a baggier t-shirt. He took them to give to the blond.

 Waiting in the living room, Thor dropped the towel when he saw Tom return with the clothes. He inspected the clothes, unashamed of his naked body, then put on the clothes. "This should suffice for now." The shirt was a bit stretched at the biceps, but the rest fit.

 Suddenly finding something quite interesting on the wall, Tom inspected it so he wouldn’t look at Thor’s physique again, the god impressing him quite a bit he found.

 Fiddling with the string at the front of the trousers, Thor finished dressing. "What about today?” he asked. “You said you needed to fix the room but do something else...you said it was...groceries?"

 “Yes, well, if you're staying here for a while, I'll need more food,” Tom replied. “And I’ll obviously need a new phone since your hammer smashed my last one. We’ll stop by a shop on the way to find you some clothes." He sighed grumpily. "I think we're going to _have_ to go to the Big and Tall store for you..."

 "Simply magic some clothes and currency, brother!" Thor said as he rubbed his hair with a towel. "It is something you know how to do.”

 Tom groaned loudly in frustration. "For the last time; I'm _not_ your brother, I _can't_ just magic money out of thin air! I have to _earn_ money and I work damn hard for it!” he said through gritted teeth. “I can't afford to buy expensive clothes for you and your...your...barrel chest!” he added, pointing to Thor’s muscular pectorals.

 Thor huffed. "What do you want me to do? I cannot change my physique like you do! You know of my talents!" He called Mjölnir to him, twirling it in his hand, then sat heavily on the couch.

 With growl sounding more like an exasperated sigh, Tom ran his hands over his face. "Can't you just, I don't know, go home and get some clothes??" he asked.

 "I am here to see that you are not misbehaving. I am not returning to Asgard and leaving you unattended!" Thor growled while Mjölnir hummed with power. “Besides, I shall enjoy this new discovery of Midgard...simple things!"

 "Fine!” Tom threw his hands in the air. “Come one then. The shops will be opening soon." He stalked towards the door, stopped, then turned, pointing at Thor. "But you _owe_ me..."

 "Owe you?" Thor snorted. "We shall see." He stood and stretched, the seams of the shirt nearly coming apart, then followed Tom. "What are those shops you speak of? Are they like the markets in the village surrounding the palace?"

 Tom grabbed a coat and scarf, giving a bigger jacket to Thor, hoping it would fit. Somehow, he didn't think the God of Thunder would get as cold as he would. "We have markets here, outdoor markets on special days. They usually just sell fruit or some food. But the shops we're going to are indoors,” he explained. “The grocery story is a large place to get everything you need for the household, but mainly food." He opened the door and they headed out, Tom wrapping the scarf around his neck.

 Imitating Tom, Thor wrapped a scarf around his neck as best he could, but felt constricted in the jacket. He followed Tom along the streets, looking everywhere, enjoying the sights. "This area is quite lovely, for a Midgardian city. I understand why you chose it!"

  _Midgardian._ The word made Tom smile wryly. "Yeah, I love London. It's hustle and bustle, the throngs of people, the different cultures. It's really quite beautiful at night."

 They reached the first shop, Carphone Warehouse. "I need to replace my _smashed_ phone," he said, emphasising a bit to make Thor feel bad. "Wait here,” he said as entered the shop.

 Thor frowned but since the windows were see-through, he nodded and crossed his arms. He saw the Midgardian devices and realized what Tom meant, about his _phone_ being crushed. He waited and waited, thinking it was taking a long time. He finally pushed the door to go inside. He walked slowly, looking around, poking at some of the devices. "These seem flimsy!" he said, grabbing one, twirling it.

 Seeing there was a possibility his trip to the shop could cost him more than _one_ phone, Tom ran over to Thor and grabbed the device from his hand. "Careful!" he hissed. "They maybe display models, but that doesn't mean you can break them."

 Tom put it back and the salesman returned from the back with two boxes, asking him if Tom wanted the white or black one. "Oh, white will be fine, thank you." He dug into his back pocket for his wallet and pulled out his business credit card.

 With a sigh, Thor crossed his arms. "This is not entertaining." He glanced at the man who'd returned with boxes. "Those devices are not very sturdy!" he commented.

 "Yeah, especially when you smash it with a gigantic hammer," Tom muttered. He paid for his phone and the man briefly goes through a quick explanation on how to set it up.

 Barely listening, Thor looked around, waiting for Tom to finish. He finally followed him outside, watching him press buttons on the device. "I...do apologize for breaking your possession," he said softly. "I felt...threatened.”

 “Like you said, they're flimsy." Tom smiled, putting the barely set up phone into his pocket. "I was due an upgrade anyway. Come on. Let's go get you some clothes..." He'd have to set the phone up properly when he got home.

 They walked towards a shop called Jacamo. "This shop is for tall and large people. I sometimes have to come here since I am quite tall," Tom explained as he pushed the door open.

 "Very well! They might suit me better than this,” Thor replied. “I appreciate the gesture of these cast-offs, but I feel...constricted!" He followed Tom inside, looking around to see clothes that would definitely fit him, of different colors, fabrics, and styles. He started taking off his jacket. "Will a seamstress help?"

 Tom looked around for the shop assistant. "Well, _he_ is not a seamstress or a tailor, but he'll take your measurements and help us find you the size you need,” he said as he looked around. “Ah, there he is!" He spotted the man and waved him over.

 The man came quickly, assessing Thor. "Quite the burly man! But you've come to the right place!" He measured Thor and then brought them to the section where they would find what was needed, Thor checking out the clothes.

 He glanced at Tom. "How long will we still be here for, brother? Will I need much clothes?"

 Picking up a t-shirt, Tom whistled at the price. "No, you will not need many clothes. You won’t be staying that long.” _I ho_ _pe_ , he thought. “Two t-shirts, a jacket and a pair of jeans are going to put me in the poor house!"

 "I will...owe you, as you said, brother. I will find some way to pay you back...perhaps pay for another visit to the brothel,” he said in a soft voice so only Tom would hear. He wiggled his eyebrows while he was directed to a changing room. He quickly went through the clothes to try on, everything fitting well. He came out while putting his tiny t-shirt back on. "These shall do!"

 "Right, sold!" Tom said while grabbing the clothes. He headed over to the register so the man would ring everything up, and he almost sobbed when he handed over his personal bank card to pay for it, unable to justify them as a work expense.

 They left the shop, Thor holding his bags in one hand. Tom sighed. "Right, do you want some lunch before we go grocery shopping? I hate food shopping on an empty stomach. I buy unnecessary things."

 Thor nodded. "I am hungry as well. What are you offering?" he asked. They walked into a busy street with many restaurants, the aromas emanating from them making his nostrils flare in delight. "Something meaty perhaps?"

 "Of course," Tom said sarcastically. He glanced around and noticed a steakhouse that was mid-range in price. "Well, in for a penny, in for a pound..." he mumbled. He walked towards it, gesturing for Thor to follow.

 Grinning, Thor caught up to Tom, licking his lips at the smell of meat cooking. After they were seated, they were handed menus and Thor frowned. "I have not read Midgardian writing in some time. I will let you chose for me. Please pick something filling,” he asked.

 "O...kay," Tom said warily. "Well, you said you wanted meat. Do you want a steak? A burger? Ribs? A burger is nice for lunchtime.” _And cheaper,_ he thought. “I can always buy some steak at the grocery store for dinner..."

 "A burger...I will try that, yes!" Thor sat back and drank from his glass of water, glancing around. "It is quite busy! I will venture this is an appreciated place?"

 Tom drank some water too. "Yes, it's quite popular, even if we could have gone cheaper and just had Burger King." He looked at the large man. "Although, the amount I would have had to buy you from there...may as well get a more satisfying burger from here."

 The waiter came over and Tom ordered two burgers and chips and two large cokes while Thor nodded in acknowledgment. "Midgard is very different from the last time I was here. Back then, women wore white hair, very high up with large dresses that were quite wide!"

 Blinking, Tom stared in awe. "How long have you lived? That's got to be about...well...the 1800's?"

 "Asgardians live long, as you know. And yes, I believe a certain Victoria was Queen when I visited. She was very entertaining!" Thor commented, sipping his water.

 Tom's eyes widened. "You’ve _met_ Queen Victoria?" he asked in awe, smile wide. “Tell me, what was she like? How did you know her?"

 Thor smiled. "She was very level headed, intelligent, and wise. I believe she led this country through considerable changes! She was quite the politician!" he recounted.

 Leaning on his hand, Tom listened avidly to Thor speak. He asked him about other figures from History, and when the food came, he was almost disappointed as Thor shut up, licking his lips while eyeing the food. The god’s eyes widened and he had a taste of everything on his plate before continuing his story.

 "Queen Victoria had many enemies but really managed well, navigating through it all. I think it was said she was the longest reigning monarch in England?"

 "Was. Our current Queen just surpassed her," Tom replied as he ate. It was the biggest lunch he had eaten in a long time and it was delicious as well. "Do you like it?" he asked pointing to the food.

 Almost ripping another bite, Thor smiled while chewing. "Not delicacies like Asgard, but quite satisfying!" He shoved more chips in his mouth, drinking Coke in long swigs.

 Tom smiled and continued eating, but was soon full; he couldn't eat another bite. He sipped his Coke and burped quietly. "Excuse me,” he murmured, pushing his plate away.

 Thor raised an eyebrow and burped loudly. "It was delicious! Thank you, brother!"

Other people looked at him with wide eyes, some snorting, some laughing, and Tom covered his face with embarrassment. "Sorry, sorry," he apologised to the other people. "Cultural differences..." He signaled the waiter for him to bring over the bill and he paid on his business account. "I'll need a receipt," he asked the waite r. The waiter returned quickly with it and Tom stood up. "Okay, last place; grocery shopping!"

  Nodding, Thor raised up and followed Tom outside, looking all around, seeing the fast pace of life in London. "Yes, life was much different in the times of Victoria, but this is enjoyable!" he said as he followed Tom into a large shop, watching him pull on a metal device that looked like a wheelbarrow. He frowned. "What is this?"

 "This is a cart. You put the food in it instead of carrying it around,” Tom explained, gesturing at the same time. “Grab some of those plastic bags while I get the scanning thingy." He headed over to the scanners with his loyalty card and a scanner lit up. He picked it up and placed it in its holder.

 Thor grabbed a few bags as instructed and followed Tom along the aisles. He had never been in such place; everything seemed new. He asked question after question, pointing to boxes, handling what looked like fruits. He wandered along, keeping an eye on Tom, but getting distracted as well.

 Tom continued picking up what he would normally get for himself, scanning the items as he went along, answering Thor's questions. They turned into the meat aisle and Tom began looking at packaged steaks, comparing prices and cuts while Thor was still opposite at the fruit counters.

 A bit intrigued, Thor grabbed a red and green fruit, biting into it, humming at the sweet taste. "BROTHER! WE NEED TO GET THESE!" He smiled, his eyebrows raised.

 "Well, _now_ we do since you just ate them!" Tom replied as he groaned.

 "But more! These are delicious! What are they?" Thor tried to read the sticker. "Ap...apples?"

 Despite himself, Tom smiled at Thor's attempt. "Yeah. See, you _can_ read English. And, you don't have apples on Asgard? There's a whole myth surrounding the golden apples of Idunn..."

 "We do, but they _are_ golden, not like this. And they taste is different!" He took another bite, smiling, and saw all the meat Tom had brought. "This will be a feast!"

 Tom laughed. "Easy there, big guy. This isn't all for one night. I'm stocking my fridge, freezer, and cupboards since I have no idea how long you're going to insist on staying." He moved onto the next isle and continued shopping, Thor in tow.

 Everything was new and Thor felt like a child discovering new toys as he followed Tom, wondering about many things he saw. He watched as the cart was filled, then took the bags Tom handed him after he paid. He looked at all the bags, finding it strange Midgardians had to do such things, so used to being served. "This grocery shopping is interesting!" he said as they walked out.

 Wincing at the bill while folding it, Tom realized it was nearly double what he usually spent. _Hopefully, this whole experience will be over soon,_ he thought.

 They walked onto the street and Tom hailed a taxi. A car stopped and Thor looked at it. "Taxi, you said? You were the one who wanted to walk so much this morning! I could fly us back!" he offered.

 "You might not realise it because we stopped quite a bit, but we’re far from the flat and we can't carry all these bags back, they're too flimsy, they'll break and..." He lowered his voice as the taxi driver helped to load the boot with the bags. "...and we can't fly back, people will see." Tom gave the driver the address and got in the taxi, grimly imagining flying with Thor and the bags breaking, people being pelted with flying food.

 Thor followed, settling in the Black Cab and looking out the window as it drove along the busy streets.

 Once they arrived back at the flat, he took the bags from the boot when the driver handed them to him and followed Tom upstairs. "Is this a regular day on Midgard?" he asked.

 "Well, for some people, I guess. This was a special case,” Tom said as he unlocked the door. “I needed to go grocery shopping, but everything else was not on my planned list for this week."

 They hauled the bags into the flat, then to the kitchen where Tom began to pack everything away, putting on the kettle as well to make a cup of tea.

 "Then what had you planned?” Thor asked as he sat down. “This...fixing of these living quarters?"

 While he finished packing food items away, Tom left the steak out to make for dinner a bit later, then made tea. "Well, it's too late to start doing anything now, so, I may as well catch up on more telly."

 A groan was Thor’s answer. "The image box again? That is not entertaining! Is there nowhere to spar? Or drink? Or women? You said you have sisters?"

 Tom nearly dropped a mug on the floor and whirled around. "I do, and no, I am _not_ calling them here for you!” he hissed through gritted teeth. “I told you, I can point you in the direction of the red light district." It didn't even occur to him that Thor suddenly seemed to believe he was who he said he was rather than this Loki person.

 He turned back and continued making tea. "If you want a fight, go to a bar, but stay away from Soho. It's a bit classier and you won't find anyone to fight with."

 " _So-ho_? What is that?" Thor frowned. He saw how annoyed Tom was and opted not to ask anymore, instead following him to the living room when he was done. He watched as Tom flipped the channels, stopping on something with people running after a ball on green courts. "What is that?" he finally asked after trying to figure out the activity.

 Grinning, Tom shifted as he explained, already excited to get Thor interested. "That, my large friend, is tennis!" He read the description. "It's an old match, from 2012, when Andy Murray won Wimbledon. The first British man to do so for...um...I forget, but a good few decades!"

 Thor sat back, arms crossed, and watched for a moment. It didn’t take long for him to hunch over, hypnotized by what he was seeing. "They are skilled! Even I am not that fast. But those Midgardians are smaller than I!"

 "I think everyone is smaller than you are, big guy." Tom laughed and carried on watching, getting just as into it as he did years ago. "Go on, Murray Mint!" he let out, encouraging the skilled tennis player.

 "Mermint? What is a mermint? I have heard of mermaids!" Thor was baffled by the word, but not enough to stop watching the match.

 Tom reached over to a side table with drawers, not taking his eyes off the television, and pulled out a bag of sweets. "Murray Mints," he said handing the bag to Thor.

 The god grabbed the bag and looked, then shoved his hand inside, taking a handful. He unwrapped them, smelled them, then popped a few in his mouth. He smiled, talking with his mouth full. "These are delicious! So this man...tastes like that? Or are these his?" he asked, puzzled.

 "No, no. They're just called Murray Mints and because his last name is also Murray, I call him Murray Mint. It's...just a play on words.” Tom tried not to laugh, imagining Andy Murray’s face if Thor ever went up to him and licked him to see if he tasted minty.

 "OH! Ohhhhh!" Thor looked at the bag and made out the name, blushing at his own misunderstanding. "Well, these are still delicious, and that man is very good!"

 "He is,” Tom acknowledged. “And he's Scottish, like me! Well, part of me."

 "Ah, the Scots! Those men are strong and proud! And reliable!” Thor said fondly. “Some are descended from my people, the Norse. I have known a few in my visits too! I really enjoyed discussing strategy with William Wallace...although it was not to his success!"

 Tom looked at Thor, impressed. "No, it wasn't. He must not have taken any of your advice,” he replied with a coy grin. He suddenly turned and stood up to cheer the last couple of points, whooping as Murray won.

 Thor watched as Tom celebrated, then grabbed his cup of tea. "Let's toast to victory!" He waited until Tom took his cup and went to clink them, much too hard, and the cups both shattered into pieces. Thor stared at the mess. “My apologies...I forget my strength when I am not in Asgard!”

 Tom was shocked at the outcome and realised they were both standing there holding only the handles of the mugs. He glanced up from seeing the mess on the floor and proceeded to explode into fits of laughter at the whole ridiculous thing.

 Fearing another reprimand, Thor stared, but the laugh erupting from Tom comforted him. He smiled. "Apologies again, I will do something to replace this!"

 His eyes narrowing, Tom stopped laughing but was still smiling. "Oh, so _now_ you acknowledge that I'm not this lost brother of yours? Damn! And I just bought all that food!"

 "I was always stronger than you, Loki, whether on Asgard or on Midgard!" Thor snorted.

 Sighing with resignation, Tom lowered his head. He looked at the time and saw it was close to dinner time. "Come on. I'll make us some dinner. How do you like your steak?"

 "Meat? Somewhat bloody a bit, grilled on the outside!" Thor licked his lips in anticipation, then looked around. "Have you more of that Murray Mint to watch while you preparing the meal?"

 "I'm not sure.” Tom shrugged. “It seems they're just filling the time with old matches. Why don't you see if there's anything else on while I cook? Are you opposed to mashed potatoes?"

 "I do not see an issue to that!" Thor grabbed the remote and did as he had seen Tom do, pressing a few buttons all at once, the volume going high. He snarled at the television, then frowned. "What is this annoying sound?"

 Tutting, Tom grabbed the remote from him and turned the sound down. "Here, use these buttons to scroll from channel to channel. If you want to know what the show is about, if you can read it, press the 'i' button here." He demonstrated and then left Thor to play around.

 Thor looked at the buttons once more, then started pressing them gently. He grinned when he found one where two women were bare-chested and fondling each other. He laughed. "This is much more interesting, brother!" He flipped again, then found two men kissing each other roughly. “Well, well...this _is_ interesting!”


	6. Chapter 5

_Previously_

  _Thor looked at the buttons once more, then started pressing them gently. He grinned when he found one where two women were bare-chested and fondling each other. He laughed. "This is much more interesting, brother!" He flipped again, then found two men kissing each other roughly. “Well, well...this is interesting!”_

 Preparing what he needed to cook, Tom didn’t pay attention at first, but when he heard the sounds of kissing, he frowned and peeked out the door. He blushed. "Just don't...um...play with yourself, okay?"

 "Why not? Is it not allowed here? I remember Midgardians being quite open-minded sexually." Thor grinned and flipped back to the two women and sat back, a smile on his face. "The ladies are quite enamoured with each other!"

 Tom shook his head and went back to cooking. He turned on the radio to disguise the sounds of the moaning from the living room. Walk the Moon's _Shut Up and Dance_ came on and he smiled. _I love this song!_ He began singing softly and swaying to the beat before he became enthralled by it. Soon, he was singing as if he were alone and dancing between cooking implements.

 The music coming from the kitchen intrigued Thor as it drowned out the sounds of the women moaning. He tried to keep watching them kissing and touching each other, but the music seemed more interesting since that’s all they were doing, and talking about a number to call for more action. He rose and crept up, seeing Tom dancing as well as sing loudly. "Ah. You would make a good entertainer!" he commented, leaning on the door frame.

 Rather than being embarrassed, Tom turned around with a grin. He danced over to Thor grabbing his arm and crooking his finger to beckon him closer, singing along.

 

_"She took my arm,_

_I don't know how it happened._

_We took the floor and she said,_

_"Oh, don't you dare look back._

_Just keep your eyes on me."_

_I said, "You're holding back, "_

_She said, "Shut up and dance with me!"_

 

Frowning, Thor moved closer, trying to sway like Tom did, but his coordination was not on his side. "I do not know how to do this. You know we do not dance in Asgard, brother."

 Tom shrugged and let go of Thor's arm, but continued dancing around the kitchen, smiling and cooking; he peeled potatoes and seared the meat cuts in a pan before putting them in the oven. While he waited for the potatoes to boil, he lowered the volume, panting from his little dance session what that song had ended.

 Feeling like he put a damper on Tom’s fun, Thor spoke softly. "I would like to learn, though, brother. If you have, so can I!" He stood in the middle of the kitchen, trying to listen to the beat of the next song, unsure of what to do.

 Seeing Thor trying to sway made Tom smile, but he couldn’t continue dancing. "It's okay, you don't have to. Besides, this is the new Bond theme. It's not exactly something you can dance to like I was just now.”

 "Oh? How different is it then?" Thor tried to shuffle his feet but it didn't make sense to him.

 "There is a very different beat in this. The last song was fast and upbeat; this one is a lot more subdued. You could waltz to this one, I think,” Tom explained.

 "Waltz? I remember that word. A lovely woman tried to teach me some time ago, a joyous redhead. Her name was...Mary Stuart." Thor replied after thinking for a moment.

 "Boiiing!" Tom said suddenly with a smile. "There goes another name drop." He laughed, then turned. "Do you...remember how to waltz?"

 Thor nodded. "I could easily remember though it has been some time. If I had a lovely partner, I could. One of your sisters perhaps?" He grinned.

 "You had better be teasing me," Tom growled. He then realised that was not the first time he mentioned that. "So, if you believe I have sisters, you must acknowledge that I'm not your brother,” he pointed out.

 "I am simply indulging you in your little fantasy, Loki. If you would rather I call you Thomas, I will. But I would enjoy meeting those _sisters_ of yours,” Thor replied.

 Groaning, Tom shook his head, then turned back to cooking, muttering under his breath. _He’ll have to stop talking about Emma and Sarah or I will hit him with this pan!_

 Thor frowned. "No more dancing then? I will return to the busty ladies on the image box then!" He started to turn around. "The meat smells delicious!"

 Tom turned back around. "You're...interested in dancing then? You mentioned you wanted to learn?"

 "As long as I am on Midgard, why should I not? I might forget it all when we can finally return to Asgard. But I know Midgardians enjoy this!" Thor said as he turned back to Tom. He looked at the man, awaiting instructions.

 It made Tom smile. “Okay. Well, while the potatoes are boiled, I'll remind you of the waltz, yes?"

 Thor nodded and stepped closer. "What shall I do? Do I need to count?"

 "Eheheh, well, if it helps." Tom tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I think I'll lead if only to help you remember." He stepped up to Thor and placed his hand at Thor's waist and took his hand. "Put your other hand on my shoulder," he instructed the god.

 His eyebrow raised, Thor put his hand on Tom's shoulder, looking at him suspiciously. "Midgardians touch each other this way to dance? It has been so long, I forget," he said.

 Tom nodded. "For the traditional waltz, yes. These days, most kids grind on each other." Tom counted and then stepped forward...onto Thor's foot. He laughed. "Sorry, I thought you were ready."

 Shaking his head, Thor then nodded. "I am… apologies, I will be more attentive." He followed as Tom counted, his body stiff. "This is very different...and not at the same time. I usually stared at the woman in my arms," he explained.

 Watching Thor’s footing, Tom agreed. "You can stare at me if you like. If it stops you from stepping on _my_ feet." He hissed as Thor trod on him.

 "Oh! Apologies, Thomas," Thor sighed and looked at his feet, then at Tom, following his counting; soon enough, they were slowly waltzing, even if a bit uneasy. "This is enjoyable!" Thor grinned.

 As they glide around the kitchen, Tom smiled and they danced until the potatoes began to boil over. "Oops!" he exclaimed. He left Thor's arms to attend to the pot. "We'll have to stop the lesson for now. Let me finish dinner while you...go...watch your porn." He inwardly thanked the gods he didn't pay for porn on the telly and that a bit of fondling is all those girls would be shown to do.

 "Porn? What is porn?" Thor asked. "Those women? Ah, that is just a lovely spectacle!" he said with a grin. He went back to the living room, letting himself fall on the couch, and resumed watching the women fondle each other sensually, but still refrained from touching himself, as Tom had asked.

 Soon, Tom had finished preparing dinner and served up the steak with a smoky barbecue sauce, mashed potatoes, and green beans. "Food!" he called as he placed the plates on the kitchen table.

 It barely took a second for Thor to move from the living room. He licked his lips at the amount of food. "This looks and smells divine," he said as he sat. He grabbed his fork and shoved a large amount of beans in his mouth, smiling as he chewed.

 Smiling, Tom sat down and poured water for them both, then began eating. Tom groan when he could still hear the moaning and giggling in the living room, then he chuckled. "So, can I assume you don't have anyone special on Asgard the way you keep talking about brothels and...my sisters."

 "The Prince of Asgard will marry someday, but for an alliance. It is how it is done. I have many women, men, and servants who enjoy bedding down with me in the meantime!" he said, his smile widening. He took a bite of the steak and groaned in delight, thinking it was better than Asgardian boar.

 Tom looked impressed. "So, you have no preference sexu...Oh, sorry. I don't know why I'm even asking that! Must be the moaning women in the background," he said, a faint blush on his cheeks.

 Thor chuckled. "Men and women are quite enjoyable, so no, I do not have a preference. Although, I can only marry a female since I will need an heir,” he explained. “But...those lovely women in the image box are quite arousing."

 Nodding, Tom didn't say anything. He couldn't judge Thor's preferences; he was bisexual himself though he had mostly been with women. _That one bloke in college..._ It had been an experience Tom was willing to try again if he met the right person.

 They finished eating in silence and Tom did the dishes before fetching two beers from the fridge. He gave one to Thor, then headed to the living room, switching over from the porn to something else. Following, Thor took a swig of beer. "Hmmm...weak, but the taste is interesting,” he commented. “Shall we watch more tennis? Or have you something new to present to me?"

 "How about a movie? Take a look at the DVD collection there and choose one." Tom indicated his library of films, knowing any of Thor’s pick would please him.

 “Deeveedee?” The word sounded strange to Thor and he turned around to scan the shelf, picking an orange color case. "This...Element? Fifth Element? Is this good?" he asked.

 "Oh yes, I have seen it many times! I love that film. It's all about aliens and the potential end of civilisation, and love," he told Thor.

 "Is it in another realm? Alfheim? Vanaheim? _We_ are not aliens," Thor frowned and looked at the images, seeing a blue woman with tubes coming out of her head. She reminded him of Frost Giants.

 Tom chuckled. "Well, no, it's not anything real...I mean, it's just fantasy." He took the disc from the box and put it in the player, setting it all up. "Just watch. If you get bored, we could watch something else." He suddenly remembered he needed to set up his phone, so he stood up and pointed to the couch. "Sit, watch." He went to fetch his sim card from the broken phone and placed it in the new one, fiddling with it while the film played.

 It didn't take long for Thor to get sucked in the film, staring intently, almost on the edge of his seat. He commented here and there, grinning at the orange haired woman, laughing at her speech pattern. "She is quite funny.  _Chiii-kaaan_!” he said, trying to impersonate her.

 Tom smiled, knowing the film backwards and forwards, glancing up occasionally; he was fine with simply setting up his phone and checking in with people. A lot of them wondered if he'd dropped off the face of the earth and Tom assured them he was fine.

  _"Ekto Gamat!"_ Thor said, repeating after the woman "I like her!." He kept watching as the movie continued, then sat back as the fight ensued, bombs going off. "I chose well."

 "You did," Tom said absentmindedly as he finished reconnecting with people. He was about to put the phone away when it rang. He stood up to answer it, walking away from the telly so he wouldn’t disturb Thor. "Emma, hi! Yeah, sorry, my phone was busted. No, I'm fine."

 Thor kept watching as the protagonists flew away, the woman studying about the world. He was fascinated when they reached an ancient temple and activated stones. The amazement on his face was evident when the ancient light shone through Leeloo. He smiled and his eyes were wide. When the film ended, he hailed Tom who was still on the phone. "This was really good, Thomas. But who is Emma?"

 Annoyed, Tom tried to shush him. "Who? Er, no one. Just...someone helping me down in the cafe. Yes, I know it's late." He blushed. "No, he is not! Look, Em, I've got to go. Yeah...uhuh...uhuh...love you too." He hung up and groaned. _Of course, I have someone with me and she instantly thinks I'm_ with _someone,_ he thought. He glared at Thor.

 "Apologies, I thought you were done, you were quiet!" Thor said. He shifted on the sofa, legs spread. "So, this _Emma_ , you love her?"

 "Of course, I do. She's my sister!”

 "Sister?" Thor grinned. "Is she like you? I would enjoy her." He took another sip of beer, but it was now warm, making him grimace.

 "When was the last time you got laid?" Tom asked annoyed. "Because all you seem to think about is sex, but you don't actually want to go _have_ sex."

 Frowning, Thor sighed. "It has been some time. Before I was sent here, I was on a mission to Muspelheim which took a lot of my time and energy. And since it is a dangerous realm, no woman is allowed, save for Valkyries. I apologize...I will try to be more respectful."

 Tom glared at him. "Stop speaking about my sisters in _any_ sexual content and I'll forgive you." He glanced at the time, seeing it was quite late. "I'm going to bed. Tomorrow, I'm going for a run in the morning, then I need to get on with the decorating. I've already lost a day."

 Thor nodded. "I will accompany you during your run again." He stood and found the pillows and blankets he used the night before, laying them on the couch. "Sleep well, Thomas. I will not speak of your sisters again, I promise.”

 "Good. Thank you. Goodnight, Thor." He headed to the bedroom and flopped on the bed. The day had been busy, expensive and he groaned hoping Thor would leave soon, although, he had to admit, he was rather liking the company, even if the blond was overbearing.

 Stripping from his new clothes, Thor laid back but his legs were too long, his feet dangling off the couch. He turned to his side, then the other, half hanging from the piece of furniture. It hurt his back and annoyed him as time went by. It took much effort to get comfortable, but he promised himself he would request Tom's bed in the morning.

 The following morning, when the sunlight his hit nose, Thor yawned, got up and stretched. He got dressed quickly, awaiting Tom for his morning run, though he really didn’t feel like going. Running was never his forte; sparring much more to his liking.

 Tom rose with his alarm, having set it up before bed. He still felt tired, but got up nonetheless, changing into running gear. He exited the room after brushing his teeth, surprised to see Thor up already. "You're awake."

 Groaning as he stretched his arms, Thor nodded. "I have not slept much. This...thing," he said as he pointed to the couch, "is not the most comfortable piece of furniture." He crouched down, then up to stretch his legs as well. "I will try to follow today and not fly!"

 "I won't run too fast this time," Tom promised as they left.

 They jogged the park three times before returning, Tom keeping his promise not to outrun Thor. When they returned to the flat, Tom let Thor have the first shower while he prepared some breakfast. Then while Thor ate, Tom showered. When he got back to the kitchen, he found Thor had devoured his breakfast and eaten almost all the bacon.

 "This crunchy meat is quite good! Is there more, Thomas?" the god asked. The look Tom gave him understand there wasn't and Thor shrugged. "What is your battle plan today?"

 Chewing on some toast, Tom rubbed his face. "Redecorating." He then grinned getting a good idea. "And, _you're_ going to help me,” he said, poking Thor’s shoulder.

 Thor blinked at Tom for a few seconds, then laughed. "I am? And how is that possible?” Thor asked. “I have never done such a task. Servants do this in Asgard!" He followed Tom to an empty room that had sheets on the floor and a can of paint in a corner.

 Tom looked around the room. All the boxes of furniture were piled against one wall so he’d have space to move around while painting. "For starters, you can move those boxes to the other side of the room. I'll start taping off the bits that shouldn't get paint on them." He grabbed some masking tape and began meticulously placing it around the window frames and ledges, as well as the skirting board and coving.

 Thor carried the boxes one by one, mindful of his strength until none was left. He watched Tom taping the walls. "What is the color you have chosen? A nice red would be fitting!" he said with a grin, thinking of his own chambers.

 Taking a step back once he was finished, Tom put the tape down and admired his work. "No, not red. Too gaudy. Here, this is what I picked." He dug around for a colour sample, showing a light blue, soft and smooth.

 "Hmmm...that is a strange pick. Pale but almost like a Frost Giant!" Thor grabbed the paintbrush Tom was holding, at the ready. "Where shall I start?"

 It took less than a second for Tom to grab the small brush back from him. "I'll do the intricate jobs." He pointed to a roller and the large blank wall. "You will have the bigger job. Paint gently across that wall, up and down motions." He demonstrated. "Don't go higher than this point, or lower than this." He showed Thor the stopping points where he had put tape.

 Nodding, Thor rolled the tool in the paint, then on the wall. He did the motion a few times, in all possible ways, then took more paint and started again. He then stopped and looked at Tom. "This is not enjoyable! Can I watch the Leeloo woman again?"

 Tom shook his head. "Nope. You have thrust yourself into my life, I gave you free coffee, I bought you new clothes, I spent double on groceries than I normally do and this is how you're going to repay me." He pointed to the wall, then the roller. "Carry on."

 Rolling in long strokes, up and down, even sideways, Thor covered the area Tom had pointed. "Is this alright?" He kept adding paint, rolling faster and faster to be done, so he could watch the telly. This trip on Midgard was starting to bore him.

 Carefully painting with the brush around the masking tape, Tom smiled, then chuckled. "You're going too fast. You're splashing yourself with paint." He gestured to Thor's t-shirt; there were even flecks of paint in his beard and hair.

 Looking to where Tom was pointing, Thor frowned. "I was trying to be thorough and quick. The smell is awful!" He rubbed the paint in his beard, only smearing it further. "I will need to bathe again."

 "Not yet. You'll likely get more paint on you before that." He judged Thor's work. "It's good...for a first coat,” he encouraged him.

 "First? You mean to tell me there will be _more_?" Thor asked, eyes wide. He groaned and sighed. "What shall I do now? Shall I make wind with Mjölnir?”

 Tom shook his head, snorted, then went back to his task. "No, that would put dust in the paint. And yes, another coat is required, but only when this one will be relatively dry." He turned and pointed to the second wall. "Do that one, but go a bit slower and only up and down, otherwise we might need _three_ coats."

 An annoyed sigh was Thor's response and he moved to the second wall. He took his time, rolling slowly and carefully, covering more of the wall with less effort. He glanced back at the first wall, comparing. "I must admit that was not my best effort. Is this better?" he asked.

 Tom turned and grinned. "Wow! Yes, that looks a lot better. Keep it up!" He turned back and finally finished painting around the edges before picking up a smaller roller. He began doing the same as Thor, up and down, carefully.

 The radio played quietly and soon, Tom was swaying as he worked, singing quietly to the songs. Thor continued working slowly, noticing Tom's behavior. _Loki has never behaved this way before. Unless he is trying to distract me…Is this really my brother_? he asked himself. He smiled, seeing Tom’s movements, almost like a choreography. “You seem to enjoy this activity.”

 "I love redecorating. But only for me. I had to help my mum redecorate her house once and I hated it. But then again, I was a teenager. All I wanted to do was be outside with my friends,” Tom explained. “Now that I'm doing this for me, I wish I had a bigger house." He sighed wistfully.

 Smiling, Thor pointed up. "You should help Mother redecorate her chambers. She does it once every century. She requests half the maids and servants to help," he said as he rolled the blue paint. "But what I meant was dancing. You seem to enjoy moving to the music!"

 "Oh, I love dancing. I do it whenever I can." Tom stepped back to look at his handiwork and took a deep breath. "Right, time for a tea break!”


	7. Chapter 6

_Previously…_

  _Smiling, Thor pointed up. "You should help Mother redecorate her chambers. She does it once every century! She requests half the maids and servants to help!" he said as he rolled the blue paint. "But what I meant was dancing. You seem to enjoy moving to the music!"_

  _"Oh, I love dancing. I do it whenever I can." Tom stepped back to look at his handiwork and took a deep breath. "Right, time for a tea break!”_

 Thor nearly dropped the paint roller like it was burning in his excitement to take a break from painting. "Will there be sweets?” he asked, hopeful. “The cook in Asgard makes these pastries...I do not remember the names but they taste a little like that orange liquid you served me this morning."

 Thinking for a moment, Tom nodded. "I think I have some custard creams. You keep painting and I'll be back." He left the bedroom, missing Thor slumping his shoulders at having to continue, and headed to the kitchen to make tea and find the biscuits. He found chocolate bourbons as well and brought it all on a tray to the room.

 Sniffing the air, Thor smiled. "Oh yes, they smell divine." He grabbed a delicacy and shoved it in his mouth, but was careful with the tea cup. He sipped some of the hot liquid, then continued rolling paint on the wall. "Keep singing, Thomas, you were good! And your dancing, it is entertaining."

 Tom ate a biscuit and smiled. "I was only swaying to the music, really. If you want to see me dance properly, we'd have to go to a nightclub."

 He looked around the room. The next step would be to paint the tops and bottoms of the wall, but he had to mask the rest of the skirting and coving first. He was tall, but not tall enough to do it without standing on a ladder, and rather than have Thor being useless, he asked him to hold the step ladder still while he worked along. Thor agreed quickly, holding the ladder.

 He watched Tom working, then realized he was staring at his buttocks. He quickly looked away, wondering why he’d been looking in the first place, then nodded to one of the boxes. "What is in there? What will this room be once you are done?"

 "That's furniture,” Tom said, looking over to where Thor was gesturing. “Once the painting is done, tomorrow, we'll build the base of the bed and a dresser. This is going to be a spare bedroom. I have a mattress on order."

 "Oh! A bed? I shall sleep on it instead of that horrid piece of furniture in the other room," Thor replied happily as Tom climbed down. He pushed the step ladder, then held it again while Tom climbed to do another part of the wall. Again, his eyes turned to Tom's features and he frowned, not understanding this sudden interest.

 Tom sighed. _So, he's planning on staying here that long?_ He took a quick glance at Thor.  "Don't you have a family and duties that you have to do? Like a job?" he asked the god as he got down again.

 "Mother and the Allfather are expecting a report, but Heimdall is watching from afar, so he will know should something happen,” Thor explained. “As for duties, the Realms are at peace, none need protecting in that sense. But I will return when this little life bores you and you agree to return with me, brother."

  _Damn, and here I thought we were making some headway!_ Tom ignored Thor and finished masking.

 The both of them then carefully painted the gaps until all four walls were complete. Tom sat in the middle of the room with a proud grin on his face. "This is so great! Thank you. I'll make some lunch and then...coat two!"

 "Very well. So I should wait to bathe then?" Thor followed Tom to the kitchen and watched him create an enormous sandwich for him, and a smaller one for himself. "Tell me, Thomas, why would you choose these living quarters? And this...what did you call it, café? What is so enjoyable in this life?"

 Tom chewed thoughtfully, wondering how to answer. "Owning my own business has been a dream of mine for a long time. I told you, I saved long and hard for this place. It's really rare to find a shop and accommodation in the same place. I was so very lucky." He smiled. "I love this life. It's very fulfilling."

 "I noticed how cheerful you are with the people downstairs in the café. It _is_ fulfilling to help others. It brings me joy when I do so, in times of war or in times of peace. The villagers sometimes need more than a protector," Thor replied. He took a large bite of his sandwich, chewing appreciatively.

 "Being friendly is in my nature,” Tom said. “You get so much back from people. It’s better than having someone always attacking you, isn't it? You must enjoy peace more than war!"

 Thor nodded. "I do. War is tiring and there is so much to rebuild afterwards. Not that I do not enjoy being helpful that way, but you cannot rebuild someone that died in battle. I am happy Asgard is at peace. The Allfather has made some fruitful alliances."

 Finishing his sandwich, Tom drank his beer, offering another to Thor. "Do you get along with your father? I don't really speak to mine. I get the occasional call from him to see how I'm doing, and he sends me a little bit of money, has done since he and my mum divorced. I think he does for my sisters too. Almost like an apology."

 "The Allfather is a strong man, leading his people with wisdom and dignity,” Thor explained. “He and I get along, even though we sometimes have different views on things. But we both agree that peace must come first, above our differences. I will take over for him someday when he feels I am worthy."

 "Oh? So you'll be the King of Asgard?" Tom smiled. "I was starting to forget who you were," he said as he reached across the table and thumbed at Thor's beard. Blue paint that had dried flaked down. "They'll call you King Bluebeard."

 Thor saw speckles of paint on Tom's fingers and roared in laughter. "It is different than Golden Son of Asgard, I must admit!" He took a long swig of beer, then another bite of the sandwich. He chewed and sighed. "But yes, someday, I will rule over Asgard and do my best to maintain peace with the other Realms, this one included.”

 Tom smiled affectionately. "Well, that's comforting to know." He looked at Thor and they stared at each other for a few moments before Tom broke eye contact by standing up, clearing his throat and cleaning his plate.

 After finishing his meal, Thor cleaned his plate, helping where he could. "This was a very good meal, Thomas, a hearty one that I enjoy." He patted him on the back, then grinned. "Shall we paint some more?"

 "Yes! The second coat should be easier and then, you can finally bathe, Bluebeard."

 Laughing, Thor went into the spare room and poured more paint, then rolled it onto the walls, slowly like Tom had asked. Listening to the music as well, he let himself sway slowly, finally enjoying himself. It was quite different than his daily duties in Asgard.

 Starting on the wall next to Thor, Tom soon fell into a routine and also mirrored Thor’s actions. They swayed and painted in rhythm, laughing about it. Before they knew it, they had painted the three main walls. Tom suggested Thor go have his bath or shower while he finished the wall with the windows, saying he'd pack everything away.

 It was with pleasure that Thor agreed to go shower. He followed Tom's instructions once again, not using all the hot water. He thoroughly removed the paint in his beard and hair, then returned to the main room with only a towel around his waist. "I have forgotten the apparel we bought."

 Tom had waited for Thor to finish in the shower before washing the paint trays and rollers and brushes. He turned off the water and wiped his hands, heading to the living room. "I think they're behind the couch," he pointed out.

 Finding the bag, Thor dropped the towel and proceeded to dress, using the soft linens. He didn't put on a shirt, finding it useless at the end of the day. "Are we having another porn night?"

 A dark blush came to Tom’s face when the Asgardian was unashamedly naked in front of him again and he turned away. "Er, no. I… I don't watch porn usually." _Especially not with someone else around!_

 Thor nodded. "Alright then. What do you suggest? More tennis with those people screaming? Or another of those?" he asked, pointing to the bookcase filled with movies. His trousers pulled up, he sat on the couch.

 His fingers running along each case, Tom looked the movies he owned. He pulled out a DVD and tossed it to Thor. "Back to the Future! Ironically, a classic." He grabbed his phone. “I’ll order a pizza for dinner.”

 The god frowned. "Back...to the future? How can one return...back..." He looked puzzled, even more, when he looked at the cover. "It's a machine with wings?"

 Tom laughed, quickly ordered the meat feast pizza, then made it two, and hung up. "Sort of. Shall I put it on?" He grabbed the case from Thor before the god had a chance to answer and popped the DVD in. He then sat back to watch, drinking his beer.

 Thor took his own beer and started watching. Against his better judgement, he found himself completely enthralled by it. The pizza arrived and Thor was appreciative that there was so much. He laughed when he saw the white haired man so afraid to see the other man back from where he had just sent him, almost pouting when he realised the movie was over.

 Tom got up and grabbed the second DVD excitedly. "There's another one."

 "What? Another? This is fantastic, brother!" Thor grinned. He sat back on the couch and finished his beer after eating a whole pizza to himself and taking what Tom didn’t eat of his own while Tom put the other movie on. He only partially watched him go into the kitchen, heard the microwave and popping before Tom returned with a bag, the smell intriguing Thor. "What is that?" he asked. "It sounds...crackly."

 Despite devouring nearly an entire large pizza, Tom always found room for popcorn. "It's popcorn." Tom sat down and offered some to Thor. "You don't have popcorn on Asgard?"

 Frowning as he reached for a few pieces, Thor popped them in his mouth and chewed, curious. The salty and buttery taste exploded in his mouth and he reached for more, groaning in delight. "This is delicious. Midgard has lots of delicious foods."

 Tom nodded and the movie started. The two of them watched avidly until the very end. Tom glanced at the clock. It was getting late and there was much work left to do the next day. "There's a third one, but..." He yawned, "...I'm too knackered to watch it. Do you want me to put it on for you?"

 Scratching his now dry hair, Thor shook his head. "No, I will wait to watch it tomorrow, to watch it with you." He found his pile of blankets and pillows again, preparing his bed.

 "Alright then. Goodnight, Thor."  Tom stood, stretched, then headed towards the bedroom.

 "Goodnight, Thomas." Thor removed his clothes, flopped on the couch, and grabbed the covers, pulling them up. He tried to relax to fall asleep, tossing and turning. After almost an hour, he growled. "Enough of this nonsense, I deserve a bed!" He stood and made his way to Tom's bedroom. He opened the door and went straight to the bed.

  After almost an hour, he growled. "Enough of this nonsense, I deserve a bed!" He stood and made his way to Tom's bedroom. He opened the door and went straight to the bed.

 Tom was just drifting off when the door opened. He sat up. "Thor? What are you doing in here? Is something wrong?"

 Thor growled and started climbing the bed. "I am quite uncomfortable! I deserve a bed; I am your guest!" He nudged Tom a little further.

 In the darkness of the bedroom, it took Tom a while to realise that Thor was naked. "What the...?" He froze when Thor climbed in. "No! Nonononono, this is _my_ bed." He placed a hand on Thor's shoulder before the mountain of a man could fully climb in. _I may as well be pushing at a_ real _mountain,_ he thought. "You are an _uninvited_ guest so you get the couch!"

 "It is too uncomfortable, I cannot sleep and it is the third night in a row," Thor grumbled. He removed Tom's hand and climbed over him. "I need comfort or I will get grumpy!" he said, a low rumble coming from his chest.

 Growling himself, Tom kept pushing at Thor as the lumbering blond climbed into the bed and over his legs. "You're always grumpy as far as I can tell!" he said. "Get off!" He pushed as hard as he could, trying to get the naked god away from him.

 "I am not getting off,” Thor enunciated. “I am a guest in this house, I am a god! I should be treated with respect and deference!" His shaft grazed Tom's covered leg and he grunted as he pushed past him, making him fall onto his back.

 Fiercely protective of his bed, not having shared it with anyone yet, Tom tried to get a leg braced against Thor's chest to push him off that way. "Get back to the couch!"

 Laughing, Thor grabbed Tom's leg and shoved it off. "It seems your strength is as useless against me here as it is in Asgard. I want a part of this bed and I _will_ get it."

 Tom barely noticed that Thor was now between his legs or that Thor was beginning to sport an erection. He shuffled over to take up more room on the bed. "Thor, seriously, this is _my_ bed and I never wanted you to stay the night, let alone three! You stay, you take the couch.”

 "You take the couch if you enjoy it so much," Thor replied, still fighting off Tom. He pinned Tom's arms on either side of his face and chuckled. "I will take my place here, whether you like it or not."

 Trying to buck, Tom struggled beneath Thor's considerable strength. He then froze when he felt something hard poking his inner thigh. His eyes grew wide and he looked up at Thor. He was too afraid to ask the god if that was a phone in his trousers or if he was just happy to see him. He knew Thor wasn't wearing any trousers, or had a phone!

 "Had enough? Can we sleep now?” Thor asked, getting annoyed with this mock battle, seemingly ignorant to the reason for Tom’s sudden cooperation. “This day has tired me." He yawned and let go of Tom's wrists, then flopped by his side. "Goodnight, Thomas."

  _Oh, my god!_ Tom thought and turned over, facing away from Thor. He shuffled as far away as possible without falling out of bed. _What the fuuuuck...?_

 Thor laid back, happy to be on a comfortable bed, then frowned to realized he had a massive erection. He glanced down, moving to take himself in hand, then thought he couldn't; he wasn't alone. He clenched his jaw and groaned, wondering why he was so troubled by this tussle with Tom. _He’s my brother!_ he thought. _Or is he?_ He more and more was starting to think maybe he was wrong. But, then again, he had been tricked by Loki before.

 Holding in a groan, Thor tried to think of everything he could to make his erection go away. It finally did and he eventually fell asleep. He rolled to his side and started snoring.

 Licking his lips, Tom remembered the feeling of the heavy weight against him. He wasn't opposed to the idea of having a man instead of a woman in his bed for a partner, but a god from another world who thought he was his brother? This was turning into some sort of weird dream!. _It has to be!_ He pulled the covers over himself and tried to fall asleep.

 The bed was only a standard double bed and Thor's large bulk took up most of it. When he rolled over, Tom could feel his hot breath on his neck. He shuddered, then grunted with annoyance, but soon, he too fell asleep.

  _His dreams filled with beautiful women, Thor hummed and smiled, but as soon as he tried to touch any, they quickly transformed into Thomas. Instead of touching him, though, Thor pushed him away, grunting as he pushed._ He's my brother! Or is he?

 Tom found himself falling from the bed. He cried out, trying to grab at anything he could before hitting the floor. Some of the blankets went with him and he landed in a tangle of limbs. He groaned. "For fuck sake!" He stood up and glared at Thor who was sleeping like a starfish across his bed. He sighed and glanced at the clock. It was nearly time to get up anyway, so he waited for the alarm to go off before hitting the 'off' button loudly, making noise voluntarily.

 Thor woke up with a scare, blinking. He saw Tom's face. "What are you doing up, brother? Is it time to work again?"

 Hardly ever grumpy, Tom scowled. He usually slept quite well in his own bed, but the god’s presence was seriously starting to irk him. "No. I'm going for a run," he snapped.

 "Again?" Thor groaned as he sat up. "Then just two around the park, not three."

 Snorting, Tom grabbed his jogging gear, pulling it on hastily as Thor rose. The blond yawned and stretched heading to the living room to get dressed as well. Tom finished first and began stretching when he reached the living room. "You know, I am feeling really energetic this morning," he said sarcastically. "I think four or five times around the park today." He opened the door to leave.

 It was enough to ignite Thor’s anger. He growled and followed quickly; instead of letting Tom go down the stairs, he pushed him up the roof staircase. "Enough of this nonsense!" he shouted. He pushed the roof door open and as soon as they were outside, he called Mjölnir to him.

 Tom grunted as Thor manhandled him towards the roof instead of down to the street. "Thor, what are you doing?" His eyes widened when the god lifted his hammer.

 "I have had enough of the running, the painting, and the games, Loki! We are going home.” Thor looked up. "Heimdall!" Just as he called on the Gatekeeper, clouds separated and a long jet stream of colours came down, engulfing them both.


	8. Chapter 7

_Previously_

  _Tom grunted as Thor manhandled him towards the roof instead of down to the street. "Thor, what are you doing?" His eyes widened when the god lifted his hammer._

  _"I have had enough of the running, the painting, and the games, Loki! We are going home!” Thor looked up. "Heimdall!" Just as he called on the Gatekeeper, clouds separated and a long jet stream of colours came down, engulfing them both._

 Gasping with fright, Tom feared something was about to fall on him. He tried to duck, but soon was surrounded by light and lifted off the ground. He cried out as he was propelled through the air and flung his arms around the body next to him, clinging to Thor for dear life as they flew through the atmosphere and into space. _What the fuck is going on?!?_

 Thor chuckled and looked up. He had to hold Tom as they landed onto the Bifrost. Still, Tom slipped from his grip and fell but he quickly put him back on his feet. "Welcome home, brother," he said, slapping his back. He turned to Heimdall. "Thank you, all-seeing one."

 The Gatekeeper nodded. “Welcome home, my Prince!” he greeted.

 Tom stumbled and looked around, eyes wide. "What...what the...?" He turned and saw the giant golden man with the huge sword and 'eeped', stepping backwards.

 Heimdall smiled. "Welcome to Asgard," he said, his voice a low rumble.

 "Th-thank you?" Tom asked, disorientated. He felt woozy, close to nausea.

 With a nod to Thor, Heimdall retrieved his sword from the keyhole. "I have been watching you, my Lord. Quite the adventure!"

 "It was.” Thor groaned. “But for now, I must see Eir." He wrapped his arm around Tom's waist and twirled Mjölnir, then flew out of the Bifrost entrance, heading to the palace.

 The speed of it all made Tom scream again as Thor flew them to the palace. He clutched at the god tightly, not enjoying being out of control like this. "Oh my gooooooood!" he screamed.

 Thor laughed merrily. "You should be used to this by now, brother." He landed on his balcony and opened the door, after letting go of Tom.

 Tom initially tried to pull away from Thor's grip, once he'd nearly dropped to the ground to kiss it for being back on it.

 Gripping Tom’s wrist, Thor pulled him along. "Now, come. Enough of this nonsense, we are seeing Lady Eir. She will have the final answer." He exited his chambers and walked swiftly along the hallway.

 After finally seeing where he was, now they were moving at more normal speeds, Tom let himself be pulled along, marveling at the large hallways and bright colours. "Wow," he breathed.

 "You seem to revel in things you have seen before," Thor noticed his voice less accusatory and more unsure of himself. He walked further along, then stopped abruptly, knocking on a door. A voice on the other side invited him inside and he did go in, bowing. "Lady Eir, I require your assistance," he said respectfully.

 The goddess met Thor at the door. She glanced at Tom, then at the Prince. "How may I help you, my Lord?"

 Thor stood straight. "I was sent on a mission to Midgard to retrieve Loki. Heimdall believes this is Loki. But as we both know, my Lady, he is a Trickster. He has been trying to fool me for days and I have had enough of his wicked ways. I want to know, once and for all, if this is Loki,” he said, pointing to Tom.

 Eir nodded and looked at Tom, who was still looking around with wonder, then gestured to the Soul Forge. "Lie on the table,” she commanded him without further pleasantries.

 Tom looked at her, then nodded. He hopped up onto the table and laid himself down. He smiled up at Eir. "Hi, I'm Tom." He held a hand out for the woman to shake.

 Without taking the hand offered to her, Eir started working, unknowing of all Midgardian customs. Ignoring Tom’s dejected look, she pulled up images, studying them carefully; she hummed, frowned, then snickered as she looked at Thor. "It seems Loki has tricked you once more, my Lord. This is a mere mortal, not your brother."

 Turning his head towards Thor, Tom grinned. "See? I told you! Your lady doctor has confirmed what I’ve been telling you for days!"

 Thor frowned and looked at Eir. "You are certain? There is no possibility this is Loki?"

 The goddess growled, pushing away the images. "Are you doubting my skills, Thor Odinson?"

 He raised his hands quickly. "I am not, no,” he replied respectfully. “Thank you, Lady Eir." He helped Tom off the table and scratched his head as they left the room. "I must apologize, Thomas.” Thor’s voice was soft, apologetic.

 Tom smiled. "And that's the first time you've called me that and I believe _you_ believe it too."

 "I do. I am so terribly sorry. I was...obnoxious and stepped on your toes quite a lot! Please, accept my sincerest apologies, Thomas,” Thor apologized again. He was relieved to see Tom nod in acceptance.

 In the hallway, a beautiful woman walked swiftly towards them, her golden hair swishing along her torso. "My son, you are home!" she said as she came up to Thor. She hugged him tightly. "How was Midgard?"

 Thor scrunched his nose. "I made a terrible mistake, Mother!"

 The woman frowned. "What have you done?" she asked.

 "I was certain this mortal was Loki.” Thor scratched his head. “I took him to Eir and she confirmed he is not. This is Thomas, Mother.”

 Looking at the gorgeous older woman in front of him, Tom smiled. She intrigued him, her age uncertain. But Thor calling her mother gave him an obvious idea of who he was dealing with. He waited to be formally introduced.

 Patting his shoulder, Thor nodded to Tom. “Thomas, meet my mother, Queen Frigga."

 Tom bowed low. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ma'am," he said. He stood up straight.

 Frigga smiled at him. "Hmm...you do look like my son Loki.” She turned to Thor. “You...if only you had brought him to me sooner. I can tell instantly this is _not_ Loki," she scolded him gently.

 Thor groaned. "You mean to tell me I had to run, paint, and endure a couch when I could have avoided it?" He threw his hands up in the air.

 The Queen smiled and tilted her head, looking at Tom. "I do hope my son has not been too much of an inconvenience to you, Thomas."

 Shaking his head, Tom smiled. “Weeell, it was _slightly_ inconvenient. I mean no disrespect. I...er..had to buy him clothes..." He realised he was _telling on_ the blond. He was quick to change his tune. "But I must admit he did help me quite a bit! He helped me redecorate."

 A smile etched on Frigga's lips. "Redecorate? Oh, Thor! Has he domesticated you?"

 "Oh Norns, no!” Thor huffed. “I was paying my stay...although I thought he was Loki and that I would have him pay me back in other ways," he admitted freely. "He still owes me for the sparring arena blast."

 "And now that you know he is _not_ Loki...?" Frigga asked, leaving the question in the air.

 Thor inhaled slowly. "I guess I owe Thomas. I must make up for my actions." He looked at the man. "Would you enjoy discovering Asgard? A tour, perhaps?"

 Tom looked at him incredulously. " _What?_ You thought you were going to bring me to a whole new world, finally believe I am _not_ who you thought I was, and then just take me back home?" He placed his hands on his hips. "Of _course,_ I would like to discover Asgard! I mean, I’m not entirely convinced I’m not still on my bedroom floor and this isn’t all a deluded dream..."

 "Well, if you would want to go home, I would take you. After all, I just...kidnapped you... _again_ ," Thor said sheepishly.

 Frigga smiled. "Go on, Thor, show him the beauties of our golden city!" She waved at Tom and headed further down the hallway.

 After slightly bowing to his mother, Thor shifted from one foot to the other. "Shall we start with the inside or outside?" he asked.

 Tom had noticed how well dressed Frigga was, along with a few other people that passed them by. He looked at himself, as he was still wearing his jogging clothes. _I really look out of place!_ "Um, the inside, but...er...is there anything I can change into? I feel... _ver_ _y_ underdressed."

 "Oh, of course! Follow me." Thor walked quickly, heading to Loki's chambers. He knew his brother was absent, still, so he went in, finding leather trousers and a tunic. "Would this do? There are boots also, should you need them."

 Smiling, Tom grabbed the clothes to inspect them, then began stripping down to change. “They should do. Thank you.”

 Thor didn't look away; nakedness never bothered him. "Would you like to see the inside of the palace first or the outside? There is much to see, we will need much time."

 As he dressed, Tom looked at Thor. “Well, that depends. What time is it here? I'm starving."

 "It is always time to eat in Asgard,” Thor laughed loudly. “You should meet Volstagg. In fact, let's seek him out, and the Warriors Three and Lady Sif. We can share a meal with them!" He slapped Tom's back and brought him outside the chambers, heading to the sparring area.

 He found the warriors, who welcomed Tom warmly. Volstagg was more than happy to share a meal and discussed Midgard's foods with Tom, while Sif and Fandral inquired about battling styles, none of which Tom could tell them since he wasn’t a fighter. Hogun listened closely, but kept to himself, as usual.

 Much was said about the similarities between Tom and Loki, although Fandral and Sif both concluded that Tom's manners were much politer. Tom was full after a very short time, the rich Asgardian food filling him quicker. He pushed his plate away, sated.

 Grinning, Thor finished his meal as well. "Would you like to run now?” he taunted.

 Tom laughed. "A run, now?? I don't think so. But...a walk would be nice."

 “You have seen the sparring arena, I could take you to the grounds around the palace, then the village." Thor led Tom out of the dining hall after bidding Thor’s friends good day, and into the interior court.

 Fountains, flowers, courtiers and guards were all around and many stared at Tom, wondering the same thing as Thor had when seeing Tom for the first time. Thor took Tom to his mother's gardens, the inner ward, then the stables. "Do you enjoy riding?"

 The young man laughed nervously. "No...I've never been on a horse."

 "Then when you are less full, we could try that. Asgardian horses are powerful beasts, graceful and resilient. If we do that now, I fear you could retch if the horse galloped!" Thor laughed. "How about the market?" He took Tom further down the pathway when the man agreed, then entered the market, which was full of life and excitement; merchants offering food, spices, fabrics, and jewelry.

 Tom's eyes were wide as saucers. The sights, the smells, everything caught his attention and he didn’t know where to look first. "This is magnificent," he said with wonder.

 Thor smiled broadly, walking with his hands clasped behind his back. "Now do you understand why I was so curious in your Midgardian markets? Things are much different here."

 Rubbing his face, Tom grinned as he tried to set his attention on one thing at a time. "It's all so beautiful."

 "It is!" Thor said. "Asgard is quite the gem. Midgard is beautiful but the things you see, hear, smell, and taste here...it is incomparable." He paid for a small pouch of spices and gave them to Tom. "Tell Marian to try these in her next pastry recipe."

 Taking a whiff of the spices, Tom’s eyes widened. "Oh wow! I can't wait to taste that." He gasped, seeing something familiar, and ran over to a stall with strangely shaped fruit. “I thought this was something else…” He picked one up that looked like a star.

 Thor grinned. "You have similar on Midgard though ours tastes a little sweeter. On Midgard, it is a carambola. But here, we call them "Stalgrak". Break it in two and chew on the pink part," he instructed Tom.

 He did just that and moaned at the flavour. "Oh my god, that tastes amazing!" He kept making yummy noises as he devoured the fruit.

 Listening to Tom’s moans of delight, Thor swallowed hard, then cleared his throat. "You could take some back when you return, but these would not grow on Midgard. The trees they are harvested from are quite sensitive to weather," Thor explained as he paid for a few. "There are also good venisons over there." Thor pointed to another stall where furs were also hanging.

 Tom turned and followed Thor to the stall. He ran his fingers across the soft pelt. Thor smiled and picked a few from a hook. "Would you like one, Thomas? I hear winters are cold on Midgard. I could arrange for a fur cape to be made for you."

 The man scrunched his nose. "No, no, thanks. It's not actually that acceptable to have real fur in these more modern times. I'd be a hypocrite if I said I'm against it since I eat meat, so I can't really have much of an opinion on it." He turned and smiled. "But thank you, it was a nice thought."

 As he put the furs back on the hooks, Thor nodded, then led Tom elsewhere in the market. A woman they passed glanced at Tom, staring for a long moment, then told her companion that Prince Loki had changed. Thor ignored it, instead walking towards the center court; there, jesters were entertaining children, and men competed in simple challenges. Thor laughed when one invited him to try the strength tester, declining the invitation as he said it wouldn't be fair.

 The Asgardian man nodded. "Perhaps your...companion would like to try his hand?"

 Taking the wooden mallet he was offered, Tom laughed, agreeing to try. He stood in front of the carnival-like device. His tongue poked out the side of his mouth as he steeled himself to strike. He lifted the hammer in the air with one hand and brought it down as hard as he could. The device rang. "Woohoo!" he cheered, arms in the air.

 Thor laughed heartily. "Impressive, Thomas! You do not look the part but you are quite strong, though no match for me. I will not try, I could break it," he said. Instead, he crouched down when a little girl brought him a flower, curtsying before him. Thor took the flower, then bowed himself after standing up straight. The little girl giggled and blushed, running to her mother. It made Thor grin and he waved at the child.

 "The people seem to love you,” Tom said with a smile, seeing how people seemed to interact with their prince.

 "As I love my people! It is necessary to have their trust. It is mutual, as is respect. I would give my life to protect the Asgardians and have put it on the line during more than one war. I might be Prince, but without them, the Kingdom would be nothing," Thor explained.

 They  continued along while Thor spoke of different conflicts along the centuries. They finally found themselves in the gardens. The god pointed to a bench. "This is where my mother enjoys spending time. She is quite proud of her gardens."

 They sat and Tom looked around, enjoying the calm after the effervescence of the market. "It's so beautiful here." He then frowned. "You said your brother is lost or left? Why would he leave all this?" He gestured to the gardens and surroundings in general.

 Thor sighed deeply. "Loki is a Trickster, but also strives for attention. He does this sometimes, but he has rarely left this long, hence why I was sent to Midgard. Your resemblance to him even fooled Heimdall. Frigga had all of Loki's usual hiding places checked, but found him in none of them. I do not know what his issues are this time. Perhaps yet another fight with the Allfather!"

 Tom leaned forward, unsure how deeply he should probe, if at all. He took a deep breath and watched a butterfly flutter from flower to flower. "Well...he's an idiot then, to leave this?" He smiled. "I've only been here five minutes and I already don't want leave."

 "Loki is...different. He is adopted from another Realm. It didn't go very well when he found out.” Thor sighed wearily. “It changed nothing for me, he is my brother. We grew together, fought together, played together. He seems to forget that sometimes,” he continued. “Mother taught him magic, so we are different in that sense. He is more intellectual, I am more physical."

 Looking at the god sitting next to him, this mountain of a man, Tom shivered. He remembered the feeling he got seeing Thor naked, feeling him hovering between his legs..."Yes...physical..." He cleared his throat and blushed, looking away.

 Thor didn't notice at first but then saw the blush on Tom's face, remembering his own hard on. He changed the subject so as not to further Tom’s obvious embarrassment. "Shall we have a drink, Thomas? The tavern is nearby."

 Tom liked his lips. "Asgardian alcohol? Sure, I don't mind giving it a try."

 "Then come along! The tavern is a nice place and the food they serve it delicious." He brought Tom along the pathway.

 At the tavern, they were welcomed by a buxom wench, who was more than happy to welcome the golden son to her establishment. They were sat in a more private corner and mead was brought, the woman grinning. Tom thanked her and she winked at him. He then took his first sip of Asgardian mead. The alcohol, he could tell, was very potent. He coughed as he swallowed. "W-wow! That's...strong!"

 "I told you in your home that your alcohol was nothing compared to ours," Thor smiled, then took a long swig. "So do be careful lest you want me to carry you back to the palace over my shoulder!" He ordered some venison with vegetables, bread, and cheese while explaining the other Realms in more detail to Tom.

 Tom listened, rapt as they ate, and only took small sips of the drink. He laughed at jokes Thor told and blushed when they accidentally brushed fingers reaching for the same utensil.

 Thor didn’t make anything of it, instead speaking low. "Now you see, Loki is a Jötunn  by birth, but has been raised here as an Asgardian,” he explained. “He still resents Mother and Father for their _lie_ , as he says. They merely wanted him to grow without being judged. It is possibly why he left, to deal with this. The Jötnar are Frost Giants, quite violent, and seek out war easily," he added. He reached for his goblet, feeling warmth as he accidentally touched Tom. Then, he started touching him purposefully seeing how the Midgardian was reacting to him.

 Occasionally as he spoke, Thor would place a hand on Tom's shoulder or knee and Tom felt the heat radiating from it. He tried to ignore it though his face would flush. _Must be the alcohol._ He took another sip of drink even with this thought. "So, he disappeared. Do you think he's conspiring with these Jötnar?"

 The laugh coming from Thor was loud. "I highly doubt that. He did not deal well with knowing he was from th..." He suddenly stopped, wondering if that might be where Loki was, then decided against. _Heimdall would have known_ , he thought. "Loki would not help a war breakout simply because he was not told of his true origins. What would it bring him other than heartache?" He looked at Tom. "Still, I truly hope that is not the case," he said, still worried somewhat.

 Tom realised he'd maybe touched on a troublesome point so he placed a warm hand over one of Thor's. "I'm sure you're right," he said as he smiled reassuringly.

 Thor gave him a soft smile. "I hope so. But I cannot think of another place he could be other than his usual hideouts." He made a mental note on going on with his search for his brother once he returned Tom to Midgard.

 The evening progressed, and as Thor looked out the window, he got an idea. He left more money than needed on the table, winked at the wench, then brought Tom outside. "I will now show you a gem. Hold on!" He twirled Mjölnir, wrapped his arm around Tom's waist and flew them to his balcony. He was more careful to set Tom on his feet this time, then spun him around. "Look," he said, pointing towards the sea.

 Once his head stopped spinning, Tom groaned and looked to where Thor was pointing. He gasped as he saw the Asgardian sun setting. His eyes widened and they reflected such colours as he had never seen before in the sunset. He leaned on the balcony railings and smiled. "It's...beautiful, Thor," he said with awe.

 The god leaned on the railings as well. "I have seen much of Midgard, the countries where the sun rises, and also those in the south where it shines late into the day. But even their sunsets are nothing compared to the one’s on Asgardian. The Realm Eternal brings much beauty."

 Taking a deep breath through his nose, Tom let it out slowly through his mouth. He then looked at Thor. He had tried to fight his attraction to this man, telling himself he was an inconvenience, but looking at him now, seeing him relaxed and smiling in the setting sun, he was ethereal. "Yeah..." Tom whispered.

 Thor heard the answer like a soft breath and looked at Tom. He moved in slowly to not seem like a brute and wrapped his hand around the back of Tom's neck. He pressed his lips on Tom's, kissing him gently.


	9. Chapter 8

_Previously_

  _Thor heard the answer like a soft breath and looked at Tom. He moved in slowly to not seem like a brute and wrapped his hand around the back of Tom's neck. He pressed his lips on Tom's, kissing him gently._

 Tom looked into Thor's blue eyes as the man leaned in to kiss him. Thor’s gaze was soft and the hand at his neck was warm and held him in a way that was both "Come here now" and "Do not leave" at the same time. Tom’s own eyes fluttered closed to enjoy the kiss. He stepped closer to Thor, pressing his body flush against the blond. He hummed as Thor pressed his tongue inside. Tentatively, his hands ran up the muscular arms.

 Relieved that Tom didn't push him away, Thor deepened the kiss, his hand coming to cup the man's cheek. He gently pushed his tongue in, probing slowly, his other hand coming to rest on Tom's hip. Tom’s response encouraged Thor and he groaned as he felt his erection already growing. He knew that the previous night in Tom's bed was not a simple regular flush of desire, but desire for this man in his arms. He held him close, massaging his lips, tasting the mead on his lips.

 When air became an issue, Tom pulled back and Thor let him. He opened his eyes, his own blue eyes darkening with lust. The two men smiled at each other. Before Tom knew what was happening, he was being kissed frantically, pushed backwards, hands touching him everywhere, stroking, trying to undo laces, buckles. Thor seemed to want to expose flesh and Tom wanted the same.

 Thor couldn't contain his desires anymore, much less his lust. He kissed Tom roughly, pulling at any laces he found, hauling off his tunic. He then did the same with his own clothes, toeing off his boots. He hurriedly removed any fabric coming between him and Tom, then led him to the bed. He found an oil vial in his night table drawer while Tom shifted to a more comfortable position in the middle.

 The god looked at the man, coming to a full stop when he turned to the bed. "Say no and I will stop, Thomas. But I would rather you said yes," he whispered.

 "God, no, please _don't_ stop!" He grinned as Thor did too and the blond god crawled onto the bed to hover over him.

 They kissed again but then Tom pulled away breathlessly. "Wait, wait, wait!" Thor paused and looked at him quizzically, making Tom laugh. "Isn't this, I don't know, a little weird? I mean, you did just spend the better part of three days thinking I was your _brother."_

 "He's adopted,” Thor said with a grin. “And, yes, you look like him a little bit, but I've realized in all this time spent in your company that you are _far_ from being Loki!" He kissed Tom fervently, then ran his hand along Tom's taut stomach to graze his shaft.

 At the first touch of Thor's fingers onto Tom's slowly hardening cock, all thought of weirdness and incest flew from his mind. He moaned and spread his legs eagerly.

 Capturing Tom's lips again, Thor wrapped his hand at the base of the man's cock, then poured some oils to smooth out his touch. He stroke Tom's shaft slowly, kissing him, teasing his lips with his tongue.

 Tom bucked slowly into Thor's fist, their tongues swirling around each other, breaths mingling. The man mewled and whined at the feeling of the strong god's hand working him so deliciously.

 "I must admit, Thomas," Thor breathed out, "when you tried to push me out of your bed last night…I… I had to refrain not to touch you more!" He stroke him slowly, tightening at the head, tugging gently. He kissed Tom deeper, humming in his mouth, his free hand running in Tom's reddish brown curls.

 The admission made Tom laugh lightly against Thor's mouth. "Well, if you hadn't been so adamant that I was Loki... _ohhhhh_..." Thor's grip on his cock made all coherent words vanish from his vocabulary and Tom closed his eyes.

 "Hush now, let's not speak of him!" Thor kissed Tom again, then his lips trailed along his jawline. He nipped his neck while speeding up his hand on the now fully erect shaft in his hand, the oils now warm.

 His eyes closed as Thor kissed and nipped his neck, and Tom shuddered when the god kissed a rather sensitive spot. "Oh, god...yes, just like that." He gasped and tilted his head to the side to give Thor more space.

 Seeing this as a clear invitation, Thor nibbled on the tender skin and bit down, refraining his full strength so as not to hurt the mortal. "Will you come for me, Thomas?" he whispered, his voice dripping with lust. He licked the bite, then bit again.

 Tom's balls tightened and his toes curled at the sound of Thor's voice, liquid sex. He bucked and groaned. "Yes...yes...yes! Yes! Oh, god! Fuck! Ahhhhh!" He came hard, spurting his semen across his stomach and chest.

 Thor grinned. "There you are, _lover_!" He captured Tom's lips again, kissing him slowly, swallowing his moans, stroking him through his orgasm until Tom gently pushed him away, having had enough. He smiled and hovered over Tom. " _This_ is what could have happened last night, Thomas!"

 Panting, Tom looked up at Thor with a smile. "I don't think either of us were ready for it then." He placed a hand on Thor's throat and dragged a finger down and across his chest. "But...I need a few moments to...reload." He laughed at his own joke, and the pun also made Thor laugh.

 "Take all the time you need, Thomas!" Thor lifted, smiling, and sat back on his heels. "See this as an adventure in Asgard!" he said, winking.

 As he propped himself up on his elbows, Tom nodded. _Quite the adventure, yes!_ He ran a finger through his seed and, on an impulse, brought the finger to his mouth and sucked on it, then glanced at Thor's engorged cock. He smiled coyly. "You know, there are _other_ things I can do while I recover..." He leaned up on his knees and gently began to encourage Thor to lie down.

 The thought of having Tom's hot mouth on him made Thor's cock twitch and he happily flopped on the bed, rolling onto his back. "Have you much experience in this?" he inquired. One thing he enjoyed more than others was tentative mouths on him.

 Tom rolled with Thor, face leveled with the _monster._ "Well, I know the mechanics behind it. I've had it done to me...I can only give it a go, right?" He looked up at Thor, waiting for permission.

 The answer he got was a wide grin and Thor propped himself up on his elbows. "Please, go ahead, Thomas. Show me what you know!" He wiggled his eyebrows.

 Suddenly unsure of himself, Tom wet his lips before leaning in to give an experimental lick of the rigid shaft. It made Thor grunt. Tom looked up, happy that only one lick did that to the god. He took the cock in hand and the perfectly rounded balls in his other hand and used the full flat of his tongue to wet the soft silky skin before engulfing the head.

 The feeling was intense for Thor and he knew he'd have to reign in his usual roughness with his lovers. He didn't want to hurt Tom but needed more. "Yes, Thomas...lick it! Suck it!" He gripped the bedding when Tom took him deeper. "Oh, Norns!" He had expected some unsure, unknowing mouth, but what he was getting was nowhere near that. Tom was gentle, his mouth hot and wet. Thor had to stop himself from bucking up, letting Tom work him. "Take me deeper if you can!" he asked with a growl.

 Suckling on the tip of Thor’s cock, Tom looked at the god seductively. He went deeper, slowly, pulling back when he felt he might gag. He stayed at that depth when he went lower again, then bobbed up and down, speeding up, sucking harder. Enjoying Thor’s encouragements, Tom then swirled his tongue, flicking the slit with the tip of it and then going down again, all the time still fondling his sac.

 His breath heavy, Thor groaned and leaned his head back. "Thomas, your mouth is wonderful!" He clenched his buttocks and moved up slightly, but not enough to hurt Tom. "You are a quick learner!"

 The man smiled around Thor's shaft and continued sucking. His hand gently squeezed the base, stroking and then he pulled off to suck each testicle into his mouth while Thor's darkened eyes rolled back. More than once in his life, he had been sucked. By men, by women, sometimes by both at once, but none had ever been this thorough, all wanting to please the golden son quickly. His hand flew to Tom's hair, not to guide him, but only to show how much he was enjoying himself. He flexed his fingers in Tom's hair, gently tugging. "So hot!"

 Tom hummed and sucked Thor's cock harder and faster, feeling his jaw aching. But he kept at it, pleased when Thor began to buck gently. Thor grunted, undulating slightly. "Yes, Thomas, yes! Touch my balls again!" His chest heaving, he groaned. "Bring me...almost there!" he moaned.

 Accidentally pressing on his perineum at the same time he sucked, Tom knew he’d found a weakness when he heard Thor gasping.

 "Oh Norns, yes! Again!" When Tom did press again, it was enough for Thor, and he spurted out his seed, shooting his load into Tom's eager mouth, his cock pulsing as he did. "Oh, Thomas!" He undulated his hips slowly, groaning as he emptied into the hot mouth.

 Surprised by the sudden eruption in his mouth, Tom pulled back when spunk hit the back of his throat and he tried to swallow. There was a lot, and in the end, he couldn't take it all. Some splashed against his cheek, his lips. Thor groaned as he orgasmed, panting loudly. He stared at Tom, smiling when he saw his seed on Tom’s face. "Well...you _do_ know how to please a male, Thomas!" He sat up slowly and kissed Tom, tasting himself.

 They kissed deeply, tongues and teeth, despite their respective orgasms, desperately aroused for each other. Thor slipped his arm around Tom's waist, holding him close, his fingers still running in Tom's hair. He didn't need as much time to rest between orgasms but was ready to wait as long as Tom needed. He caressed his buttocks, teasing his pucker gently. Tom gasped into Thor's mouth when the finger touched him there. He pulled his mouth away and looked back at what the god was doing. "N-no lube?" he asked with worry.

 Thor licked Tom's lips. "I am not that kind of rough lover, Thomas. I was simply testing the waters!" he said with a grin, tapping the hole. He reached for the oils vial and uncorked it with his teeth. He poured oils on his fingers, more than enough, and brought his fingers to Tom's puckered hole again.

 Tom was on his knees, having them parted wide, his arms resting on Thor's shoulders as the muscular god touched him again. He closed his eyes as the finger ghosted his entrance. He bit his lip and leaned forwards, burying his face in the crook of Thor's shoulder and neck.

 "Am I hurting you, Thomas? I can slow down," Thor said, pulling his finger out, having barely pushed it in. He grabbed the vial and added more oils, pouring them on Tom's cleft.

 "No, no, it's just...I haven't done this in a long _long_ time." He looked at Thor. "I'll be fine, just...not to sound too cliché...be gentle?"

 Nuzzling Tom’s neck, Thor promised. "Tell me if you want me to slow down!" he said, nipping Tom's shoulder. He pushed his index slowly to the first knuckle, then pulled back, every time pushing in a little deeper. He gripped Tom's hair and pulled it back slowly, kissing him as he breached him. Tom made an " _Ungh_ " noise as Thor sunk his finger deeper inside and nipped his neck to distract him. The Brit hissed with pleasure as the movements became smoother. "Oh, yes..."

 "Is that good, Thomas?" Thor purred in Tom's ear. He pushed slowly, then added another finger, just as slowly. He felt Tom tense so he slowed down. "Do you need more oils?" he whispered.

 Tom shook his head. "No, not yet...god, this feels so good..." He began panting and moaning wantonly. "Yessss, fuck..."

 Grinning, Thor kept pushing his two fingers inside, pumping slowly. When he pushed in deep, he gently wiggled his fingers to tease Tom's prostate. Tom gasped and clenched around Thor's fingers. "Oh my god...fuck!" He groaned. "Thor, please...I think...I think I need your cock now..."

 "I would say yes normally, but you need more stretching..." Thor breathed out. He pushed another finger, just to make sure. He had no intention of hurting Tom and he knew his girth was more than regular males. Tom arched his back under Thor’s touch, mewling at the three fingers. He writhed and rode Thor's fingers slowly.

 "Oooh Thomas!" Thor gently bit Tom's shoulder. "Do you want me to take you on your back or on your knees from behind... _lover_?"

 The term made Tom chuckle. He turned his head to kiss Thor's hair. "I don't know. What do you recommend for a first time after a long time?"

 "Seeing your face while I take you would be better. I could see if I am hurting you without you lying so as not to disappoint me." He pulled his fingers out, wrapped both arms around Tom and flipped him over on the bed, chuckling when the man “eeped” again. He then knelt between Tom's legs, caressing them as he spread them wide open.

 Spreading his legs when Thor indicated he should, Tom bit his lip. "M-more lube?" he asked nervously when he suddenly remembered how large Thor was.

 "Of course!" Thor smiled and reached for another vial, the first one having already been half empty when he fetched it. He poured oils over Tom's slowly hardening cock, then rubbed some on Tom’s sac and perineum, then on his own cock, stroking it until he was fully lubed. "Tell me at any moment if you need me to stop or slow down!" Thor said, his voice rough with desire. He took Tom's leg and brought it up to his waist.

 Tom nodded and held his breath as Thor placed the head of his cock at his stretched entrance and began to push in. He groaned and pressed his head deeper into the plush pillows while Thor leaned over him with concern. "Look at me, Thomas; tell me!" Thor whispered. He pushed in slowly, reigning in his strength. The tightness was overwhelming and the way Tom was clenching around him was delicious. He pulled out to add more oils, then pushed in again slowly.

 Looking at Thor, Tom’s brow furrowed. "Just keep going," he gasped. The head of the god’s cock pressed more firmly against him and finally popped through the tight ring of muscle.  Tom groaned with a smile and Thor kept pushing forwards. "Oh yes, that's good, Thor!"

 His golden hair shining in the low torches’ light, Thor smiled and pushed in fully, seating himself. He grabbed Tom's other leg, bringing it to his waist, then leaned over. He cupped Tom's cheek while bracing his hand by his side, then kissed him slowly.

 With his legs wrapped around Thor's waist, and the god kissing him so thoroughly, Tom trembled as he adjusted to the girth of Thor's erection. He was thankful when Thor moved slowly, pulling back, then pushing in, setting a languid pace.

 Thor relished in the tightness. It was more than he expected and he'd have to brace himself not to go too fast. He undulated his hips, penetrating Tom deep with every thrust, the sounds coming from Tom delicious. The Midgardian gasped with each swing of Thor's powerful hips, impaling him deeply.

 Tom gripped Thor's muscular biceps, fingers digging in. "God, fuck, yes. This is so good. So, so good!" he cried out.

 "Mmm yes, Thomas, yes!" Thor's chest rumbled with a low growl and he leaned down to nip Tom's neck, hesitating to bite again already.

 Tom tilted his head again and this only encouraged Thor to bite slightly harder. The Brit groaned at the contact, and his body rocked with each thrust. "Thor..." he breathed. "You...you can g-go faster."

 Lifting just enough to make eye contact with Tom; he wanted to be certain it really was what the Brit wanted. He groaned, seeing the truth, and accelerated, their flesh slapping together. Thor braced both hands by Tom's head, burying himself to the hilt with every thrust. "So good, Thomas!" he moaned, his breath quick.

 Their gaze met when Tom looked up at Thor, blue eyes meeting each other as the two rutted against each other, Tom's cock bouncing against his stomach; it was now very hard, ready for another release. It didn’t go unnoticed, as Thor grinned, seeing Tom’s arousal. The god leaned down and kissed him roughly while wrapping his hand at the base of Tom's cock. He remained gentle, stroking him softly while still pounding into him with minimal strength, mindful of Tom's frame.

 Biting his bottom lip, Tom mewled under Thor's touch. He clenched around the blond's cock, his legs slipping from around his waist and falling open wide and wanton. Licking his lips, Thor tightened his hand around Tom's shaft, teasing the slit with his thumb; it was something he enjoyed as well. He snapped his hips, pushing his fat cock inside Tom, bumping against his prostate. He was inching closer to his own climax when he felt Tom clenching. "May...May I come inside you, Thomas?" he asked in a groan.

 Tom groaned at the question. "Fuck, yes...yes, please! Come inside me! Anything, just...keep doing _that_!"

 Thor smiled and renewed his thrusts, grunting, feeling his balls tightening. He stroked Tom faster, tugging the head of his cock. Right on the edge, Tom knew it wouldn’t take much else. He was moaning and whining and scratching at Thor's arms, scrabbling for purchase.

 "Come for me, my little mortal! Come for me, Thomas!" Thor encouraged him.

 His toes curling, Tom whined, and when Thor 'commanded' it, he obeyed. With a cry of bliss, he came, hard. He panted as his seed spurted from him into Thor’s hand, the god groaning. The warmth of Tom's seed in his hand spurred Thor on and he growled, fucking the man harder. Tom grunted with each additional thrust of Thor's hips. He groaned at the feeling of the seed filling him when Thor released soon after, the god’s spunk coating his insides. He could feel Thor's cock throbbing inside him, as well as his pulsing while Thor still lazily stroke him. "Ohhh...fuuuuuck...that...that was...that was amazing!" Tom whispered.

 Moaning, Thor buried his face in Tom's neck, still holding himself up, and licked his damp skin. "You are delicious, Thomas!" he purred, panting. His hair was wild, some locks having come out of his ponytail. "It was...I should have succumbed to my lust for you earlier!" He grinned and kissed Tom, then pulled out gently, rolling to his side, observing Tom. "Welcome to Asgard!" he says with a coy smile.

 Laughing, Tom rolled to his side too. "Ehehehe, yes, and what a wonderful welcome!" He embraced Thor, kissing him soundly.

 Well into the night, Thor showed Tom just why he was sometimes referred to as the God of Fertility, his prowess and stamina wearing the mortal out in no time at all.

 ~~

In the morning, late into the morning, Thor and Tom made love again in the shower and on the table. They had a nice breakfast, Tom vowing to do six laps of the park when he next had occasion to do so, seeing how rich Asgardian meals were.

 Once their food was settled, Thor ensured Frigga was able to say goodbye to the mortal rather than just leaving. He then flew them to the Bifrost gate and took Tom home. They landed on Tom's roof garden and Tom offered for Thor to come inside for tea and biscuits.

 Inhaling deeply, Thor smiled. "I would normally say yes, but staying here with you, then taking you to Asgard, it has delayed my search for my brother. He is still missing and I must find him." He cupped Tom's cheek. "Thank you for the offer. Maybe another day, I will accept it. Once again, you have my apologies for intruding in such manners in your home and business."

 Tom affectionately leaned into Thor's touch. "Another day? Does that mean I'll see you again?"

 The smile on Thor's face widened. "If you allow me to return, I could come back once in a while. Time passes differently in Asgard, so do not be worried if I do not return quickly." He kissed Tom slowly, then sighed. "It was a pleasure spending time with you, Thomas, even if you did make me jog and sleep on the couch.”

 Stepping away, Tom nodded with a laugh. "Next time, you _can_ share the bed with me.” He smiled affectionately. “Goodbye, Thor. I hope you find what you're looking for."

 Tilting his head to the side while scrunching his nose, Thor nodded. "So do I, Thomas. But my brother is a Trickster...it might take some time!" He took a step back and looked up, calling Heimdall. He then looked at Tom. "Goodbye, Thomas."

 The Bifrost came down and within a few moments, Thor had returned to Asgard, about to go back to search for his brother. He met with Frigga, who waiting for him at the Bifrost site, a small smile playing on her lips. "I take it you and the mortal parted on good terms?" she asked softly.

 Thor took his mother's hand, kissing it gently. " _Very_ good terms, Mother. He is safe and sound, where I first found him. I have returned to continue searching because it seems Loki is still evading us!"

 Frigga smiled gently. "Actually, Loki has made himself known. He is back in the palace, pouting as usual. It seems he is not happy that no one went to look for him, or rather, that no one found him."

 A hearty laugh came from Thor as he led his mother along the Rainbow Bridge. "And why did I think that, for once, Loki would act normally? He only wanted attention, didn't he?"

 The Queen laughed softly, clutching the arm her son was offering while they walked back to the palace. “Indeed. Now, let’s go show him how truly appreciative we are that he is back with us...until the next time.”


	10. Epilogue

After Thor left him that day, Tom went back to his little life, finding it just that: little and less interesting. His comfort was walking into his newly painted sky blue guest room: it made him smile. He immediately got started putting the furniture together, wondering how much Thor would have grumbled and whined at doing such a task. The thought made him smile.

 Months passed and every time there was a thunderstorm, Tom would sit on his couch, looking out the window; he wondered if Thor was causing it. _Perhaps he found his brother and they’re making up for lost time! Fighting like brothers do._

 Tom’s business, _Slice of Heaven,_ continued to run smoothly. He sent Marian on a cooking course and gave her the spices he had been given on Asgard; he made sure she used them sparingly. The woman was a quick learner and Tom loved the hearty and warming stews she made over the cold winter months.

 As the days grew longer, Tom still followed his routine, jogging, running the business, but he had yet to find a new hobby since his decorating project was finished. In the early summer, he held a housewarming party for his friends and family, his sisters and mother joining them to 'welcome' him into his 'new' home.

 As they enjoyed themselves, visiting the flat and commenting on his work, Tom found his mind wandering often, glancing outside and up to the sky. He kept wondering what Thor was doing just then, and if he might appear to introduce himself to his two siblings.

 ~~

 

As it was a time of peace, Thor resumed his duties as Commander of the Asgardian Armies, training hard daily. Along with his troops, he helped the villagers and farmers in need and assisted the Allfather in missions on the other Realms. The alliances with the other realms were as strong as ever and Asgard shone as always, the Eternal Realm peaceful.

 Months had passed; once again Loki took it upon himself to cause issues. After a verbal spar with the Allfather, one that resounded loudly in the throne room, the Trickster stomped off to where the Norns only knew.

 The Allfather once again called upon Thor. "My son, your brother has deemed it a reasonable defense to disappear. Again. Can I count on you to find him and return him home so we can resolve this matter between us?"

 Thor stood, listening to the Allfather’s plea. Under any other circumstances, he would have been annoyed. But this time, he remembered his last quest to find Loki and Thomas’ face came to his mind; he remembered him fondly.

 Hiding his lusty grin, he looked at his father. "I would be glad to, Allfather. I will start with Midgard!" Not waiting for an answer from Odin nor Frigga, he turned away, flying off to the Bifrost site, his mother chuckling softly, knowingly.

 As soon as Thor set foot in London, he changed his clothing. Of course, he would go on a search for his brother, but first, he wanted to make the most of his time on Midgard. He found similar clothing as Tom had bought for him, hiding his armour once again. Wearing simple jeans and a jacket over a t-shirt, Thor made his way to the coffee shop, staying outside for a moment to observe the Brit. He was glad to notice Tom seemed happy in his endeavours.

 When the last customer left, Thor knew it was his chance. He waited until Tom had his back turned to the door and entered the shop.

 “Sorry, we’re closed!” Tom said without turning, concentrating on his task. “Come back tomorrow; we’ll have fresh pastries in the early morning!” he added.

 Thor chuckled. "Hello, _Loki_!” he rasped.

 At the sound of the deep masculine voice, a pleasurable shiver danced up Tom’s spine and he lifted his head. He turned to see his golden god standing in the door frame and he smiled.

 

THE END!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!  
> Thank you so much for sticking with us during our ThunderPudding adventure! We hope you enjoyed it and thank you for your comments!  
> Roguex1979 & Morriggann


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